As Leaving Cert students gear up for the final weeks of study, it has been revealed that a number of students will have to face sitting three exams in one day due to a scheduling clash.
A number of the 900 students in 40 schools who will sit a new Politics exam in June will be impacted by the scheduling decision.
16 student found out in recent days that their exams will clash with design and communication graphics after being "kept in the dark". 11 of those students will end up sitting three exams in a single day. Students will have to sit the exam during an evening sitting which means these students will be sitting exams from 9.30am to 8pm.
Teachers and students were not informed about the possible timing or date of the exam during the release of the exam schedule last year with the majority only being advised about the clash last week. Although the exam is only a number of weeks away, teachers and students are not aware of the marking scheme or assessment criteria. Speaking to The Irish Times, Gerry Sutton, a teacher based in Castleknock Community College, shared his frustrations for students and staff:
Students are due to be examined in two months. Words has only just trickled down to us that some students will now end up sitting three exams in one day... It compromises the fairness of the Leaving Cert. It is quite irresponsible on the part of authorities. I know they are under pressure, but there has been a real lack of communication on this.
The State Examinations Commission said the exam timetable was framed to minimise subject clashes as much as possible, but “unfortunately some clashes will occur. Appropriate arrangements are made, therefore, for the candidate to sit one of the subjects later on the evening of the day scheduled for that subject,” the commission said. The commission did not include a planned course of action during last year's exam timetable release as to what would happen in the event of such a time-tabling clash.
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As the majority of students undertaking this Politics exam will still be sitting it at its originally planned time, efforts will be made to ensure that those affected by the clash, who've to sit it in the evenings, won't be be given an opportunity to access information about the exam. The commission will make "appropriate arrangements" to supervise breaks in between exams by school authorities and superintendents in order for students who are sitting the paper in the evening to not learn of the questions asked during the day.
H/T: The Irish Times
