Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 911: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received a letter (details supplied) from the senior chemistry students of a school which draws to her attention to the serious concerns they have regarding the changes in the time-tabling of the 2008 leaving certificate chemistry exam; if she has had the contents of the letter examined with a view to seeing if the reasonable and rational requests which the students have made can be accommodated in a way so as to enhance and promote the Government's objectives of stimulating greater study in the sciences of students at second level education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1054/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have received the letter to which the Deputy refers. The new Leaving Certificate examination schedule for 2008 was agreed with a working group representing the Partners in Education, and is designed to reduce the demand on students especially during the first week of the examinations. It advances Chemistry, which is sat by some 7000 students, and Geography, sat by some 25,000 students, to Thursday and Friday respectively of the first week, which, along with Home Economics which is sat by some 12,000 students, ensures that the majority of students get a break of at least one half day during this intensive phase.

The revised timetable ensures that the significant writing pressure that was experienced by all students in the early stages of the schedule has now been reduced. There are no plans to change the timetable for 2008. However, each year, when drawing up the timetable for the following year, the State Examinations Commission invites the input of the Partners in Education so that their experience can inform the formulation of the next year's schedule. I also plan to engage in a consultation with Leaving Cert students after their exams to get their views on the new mix of papers.