MINISTER FOR Education Batt O’Keeffe has launched two major investigations into “grade inflation” in university and Leaving Cert results – after some of Ireland’s leading industrialists raised concerns about a possible decline in academic standards.
The inquiries by senior Department of Education officials are already under way and preliminary results will become available later this week.
Both the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the State Examinations Commission (SEC) have been consulted. Officials will review the number of first-class honours degrees awarded by the universities and the institutes of technology since 1991 and examine Leaving Cert higher level grades between 1992 and 2009.
The move is the first response by the Government to growing concerns about a possible “dumbing down” of standards in Irish education. It comes after a series of meetings between the Minister and some major US multinationals, including Google and Intel, where concerns were raised about a decline in the quality of some graduates and Leaving Cert students.
Mr O'Keeffe confirmed the new move to The Irish Timeslast night. He said: "There are allegations that the system has been dumbed down and we need clarification on this because our future is heavily dependent on the level of attainment in our schools and colleges.
“If we are an export-led country we have to be informed by industry as well as to their experience of graduates and the quality they are finding. It is important to listen to what industry is saying.”
The inquiries follow high-profile criticism of the Irish education system by former Intel chief executive Dr Craig Barrett at the Farmleigh economic summit in June and again in Dublin last month.
The Minister said last night that Dr Barrett had raised “important issues”. “When you have someone of his stature raising issues for us in education, it would be remiss of me as Minister not to take seriously what he is saying. My plan is to assess what is happening, establish the facts and address any deficiencies.” It is widely expected that the reviews now under way will find clear evidence of grade inflation.
Previous studies show the percentage of first class honours degrees awarded in Irish universities has almost trebled since the mid-1990s. The number of students securing the perfect Leaving Cert is up 500 per cent.
Mr O’Keeffe has also asked the higher education strategy group to examine the issue of the quality of graduates and the overall quality of outputs in the higher education system.
The group, chaired by economist Dr Colin Hunt, is expected to present its report over the summer.
