Students who sat the Leaving Certificate this year have an opportunity to have their say on the changes to the exam timetable in a meeting with the Education Minister in Dublin next week, according to local Fianna Fáil TD, Michael Fitzpatrick.
“The Minister for Education and Science, Mr Batt O’Keeffe TD, is inviting students who sat the Leaving Certificate this year to visit him in the Department in Dublin next Tuesday (July 1 2008) to discuss the reforms to the exam which were introduced this year.”
“Minister O’Keeffe is inviting officials from the State Examinations Commission to attend the meeting so that they can also hear the views of the students.”
“Places are limited, but I would like to encourage Leaving Certificate students from Kildare to apply to the Department to take part in this very worthwhile exercise.”
“The new revised timetable introduced by the former Minister, Mary Hanafin TD, was the most student-centred reform in decades. The changes introduced meant that most students will get a half day or two over the first few days of the exams.”
“Those taking both exams on the first day seen time spent in the exam hall shortened by 50 minutes, compared with previous years when the two English exams were taken.”
“The State Exams Commission consulted with all the partners in education over six months in an effort to make the plan for reform of the timetable a reality, and a lot of very helpful changes were made.”
“However, the Minister is keen to get feedback from students who actually sat the exam this year, to hear their views firsthand.”
“Students who would like to meet with Minister O’Keeffe can make arrangements to do so by contacting the Minister’s office at minister_okeeffe@education.gov.ie, or by contacting the Minister’s office by telephoning 01 8896637 at the Department of Education, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1,” concluded Deputy Fitzpatrick.