Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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478. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the logic in reforming the junior certificate to accommodate the 40% assessment carried out in schools by subject teachers and the potential pressure on teachers to mark their own student work; her views that logic needs to underpin the change rather than change for the sake of change. [46262/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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In my revised proposal for Junior Cycle, presented to the Teacher Unions on 10 November, I have set out a two pronged approach to assessment. It includes a combination of 60% of marks to be allocated to a final exam at the end of third year which will be set and marked by the SEC, alongside 40% of marks to be allocated for school based work such as portfolios and projects to be assessed by teachers which will be accompanied by the SEC monitoring 10-15% of this marking.

What is assessed is valued; school based assessment promotes a learning culture in schools. It recognises and rewards skills which cannot readily be assessed through externally assessed written final examinations.

It is essential that students are marked by their own teachers to promote better student learning and improved student outcomes. School based assessment empowers teachers to support the unique talents and skills of the students in their classrooms. It allows for a much more rounded picture of student achievement to emerge.

This combined approach with its external checks and balances will lead to state certification on completion of junior cycle. It will have integrity and validity and teachers will be supported in this change.

This reform is not about protecting systems, it is about improving standards. The integrity of the existing junior certificate will be maintained and improved by my proposal.