Implementation of points system report urged

The Conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI) has called for "the immediate implementation" of proposals in the Commission on the Points System report.

In particular, it wants implementation of the proposals relating to "radical and creative" ways of reforming assessment within the Leaving Certificate examination.

It said, however, it was "very disappointed" that, although the commission accepted there was a need to broaden pupils' assessment, it had made no proposals as to how to achieve this.

CORI did however accept that, "in the short term at least, there will continue to be a need for a method of rationing scarce places in third-level education" and alternatives to the Leaving Certificate considered by the commission were "equally or even more problematic or [were] incapable of securing widespread public support".

It considered it "inevitable" that school-based assessment of pupils would be introduced. Teachers who believed such assessment would undermine their professionalism were "seriously misreading the position". It believed the proposed wide-ranging changes in the senior cycle assessment "would mitigate many of the damaging effects of the points system".

CORI also welcomed proposals on increasing significantly the proportion of third-level mature students, as well as those to increase the quota of places for disadvantaged students.