LEAVING CERT IRISH:THE STATE Exams Commission was drawn into fresh controversy yesterday after a question in the Leaving Cert Irish higher level paper was seen by teachers as "an attempt to catch out students".
In a move which surprised and dismayed teachers and students, a question on Stair na Gaeilge (history of Irish) was identical to that which appeared last year.
In preparing their students, many teachers had deliberately avoided those areas which featured on last year’s paper.
One teacher said: “ We have no other choice because the Stair na Gaeilge section is so broad and wide-ranging. But this was nothing short of an attempt to catch students out.”
Scores of teachers and students contacted The Irish Timesyesterday to express their anger about the question.
Anna Davitt, director of Comhar na Múinteoirí Gaeilge, the group which represents 2,000 Irish teachers, said she had also received a great deal of negative feedback about the paper.
Last night, the SEC responded to the controversy, saying complaints would be considered by the chief examiner in assessing the paper.
The SEC said it “ wishes to reassure candidates that, now that this matter has been brought to our attention, any issues arising will be taken into account in the development of the marking scheme”.
This is the first significant dispute about the content of an exam paper since a higher level maths paper was viewed as unduly harsh three years ago. On that occasion the marks in the exam were broadly in line with previous years.
Only one in three Leaving Cert candidates takes higher level Irish, in part because of the perception that it one of the toughest subjects. In fact, the honours rate for Irish (some 82 per cent of students get an A, B or C grade) is one of the highest in the exam.
That said, the course for higher level Irish is seen as long and demanding. The SEC said it was aware that the question – Ceist 4, Stair na Gaeilge in the 2009 Gaeilge, Higher Level Paper 2 – was the same as Ceist 4 Stair na Gaeilge in the 2008 examination.
It said the role of the examination is to test candidates’ knowledge of the prescribed syllabus. “As such, examination papers may contain and examine the same material as appeared on a previous year’s paper. Where this occurs it does not invalidate the paper,” the SEC said.
“Ceist 4 is worth 30 marks out of a total of 600 marks available for the subject (5 per cent of the total marks available). This question comprises six sections a, b, c, d, e and f. Candidates are required to answer on two of these sections.
“There is significant choice within many of the subsections, and as such this provides ample opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their achievement in this area of the syllabus.
“The well-tried approach in place to deal with issues that arise in the course of the examination process is through the development of the marking scheme by the chief examiner and the advisory team. This issue will be considered by the chief examiner and the advisory team.
“The marking scheme will, as usual, be published along with those in all other subjects in advance of the viewing of scripts later in the year.”
