Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if some element of external examiners will still be used in the new Junior Certificate cycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46279/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Over time the external examination is to be phased out and externally set, administered and marked examinations will no longer be a feature of the final assessment at Junior Cycle. During the transition period, elements of the external examination will continue to be in place until phased out.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way he will ensure that the new Junior Certificate cycle is implemented in a consistent manner and to the same standard across all schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46280/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Extensive quality assurance measures are built into the new Junior Cycle. These include subject specifications with clear learning outcomes; a comprehensive profession development programme for teachers, principals and deputy principals in educational assessment, including processes of moderation; and the introduction of standarised tests for all schools and students in English reading, Mathematics and Science and in Irish reading for Irish-medium schools; the development of an assessment and moderation toolkit.

Additional quality assurance measures in relation to assessment at end of junior cycle include the following:• The SEC will provide final assessment papers and marking schemes for subjects until the new school-based system of assessment is fully established

- For English, Irish and Mathematics, the SEC will initially mark these papers. This arrangement will continue until standardised testing becomes established in junior cycle;

- For the school work component, schools will undertake internal moderation in accordance with the guidelines on moderation for Junior Cycle assessment which will be formally confirmed by the principal;

- The results awarded on every school certificate will be sent to the DES. The DES will monitor the national and school patterns along with the results in the standardised testing of reading, Mathematics and Science. This monitoring will provide further quality assurance and identify any local or national anomalies. A report on overall trends will be published regularly. In the event of an unusual pattern of achievement, the Inspectorate of the DES will be advised, and support and evaluation measures will be provided for the school.