Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 34: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to address the ongoing concern about grade inflation at second and third level institutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18188/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My predecessor recently asked officials, in conjunction with the relevant State bodies, to examine available evidence in relation to the question of trend increases in grade awards at second and third levels. Papers have been prepared in respect of the State Examinations and the higher education sector and are available on my Department's website. .

With regard to the State Examinations, while there has been a significant increase in the proportions scoring at grade AB and ABC at higher level in the Leaving Certificate between 1992 and 2009, most of the increase took place during the 1990s and grades have largely stabilised since the establishment of the State Examinations Commission (SEC) in 2003.

A range of issues can impact on grading in the certificate exams, including curriculum reform, introduction of second assessment components, investment in professional development for teachers, more exam-oriented teaching, and better information for teachers and students through improved internet access.

The SEC has an extensive range of quality assurance measures in place to ensure the validity and consistency of assessment. These include setting exams in the context of a published set of "Principles and Protocol for Preparation of Test Items", a manual for drafters and setters of questions and completion of assessment grids for each exam to ensure fair and balanced coverage of the syllabus, the development of a marking scheme to ensure consistency in the marking process, comprehensive training of examiners and advising examiners and publication of marking schemes and the chance for candidates to view their scripts to decide whether to appeal the result.

With regard to higher education, while the available data shows a trend of increasing award classifications in universities and institutes of technology over the last decade, this trend is not necessarily direct evidence of grade inflation. A number of contributory factors need to be considered, including deliberate decisions on assessment standards prompted by external examiner findings which were aimed at aligning Irish standards more closely with international norms. Improved and more explicit assessment methods, with the development of learning outcomes based approaches, and better prepared students are also arguably important factors. However, grade increases in higher education are also argued by some to be indicative of a relaxation of standards and this is a subject of debate across systems internationally.

The question of graduate quality is a wider and more fundamental one that goes beyond the grade inflation issue. In this context, a High Level Group is currently in the process of developing a new National Strategy for Higher Education. Questions around the quality of teaching and learning, the responsiveness of the higher education sector to broader economic and social needs, and the development of a resourcing base for meeting future demand in a manner that safeguards graduate quality are all being considered by the High Level Group, which is expected to finalise its report before the summer.

On the quality assurance front, I am introducing legislation to establish a new qualifications and quality assurance agency. This will bring a unified focus to external quality assurance in higher education, establish a closer link between quality assurance and the standards underpinning awards on the National Framework of Qualifications and provide for thematic quality reviews on a cross-institutional basis.