Mary Hanafin is not interested in change for change sake, writes Seán Flynn, Education Editor.
The Leaving Cert may continue to occupy a towering presence in the Irish education landscape but it is unloved by educationalists who dislike its emphasis on rote learning and memory-testing.
Much of this antipathy is clear in the 80-plus page reform plan tabled by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) earlier this year.
The NCCA, made up of the various education partners, says the current exam puts too much stress on rote learning and puts too much pressure on students.
It wants a more adult learning culture, with a greater stress on self-directed learning. The proposals, which it would like to see implemented from 2010, would see a mix of the following over a two or three-year cycle:
Traditional subjects such as Irish, English, maths, science etc.
Short courses, designed to widen choice for students. These would includes areas such as drama and theatre studies, enterprise education, Irish language, mathematical applications, modern languages, health education and promotion, psychology, science and society, social and political education and sports studies.
Transition units: A new programme building on transition year. This will include work experience, use of information technology, voluntary work , project work and activity-based learning (45-hour units).
The NCCA says the case for reform is clear. The current systems is failing some 40 per cent of teenagers; 20 per cent who perform poorly in the exam and a further 20 per cent who drop out after Junior Cert. In her response to this document, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin also places considerable stress on the need for a new exam regime which will promote greater inclusion. She also backs the NCCA proposal for a second assessment instead of one terminal exam in Leaving Cert year. This would, she says, help to relieve stress for students.
Otherwise, the Minister appears to regard the NCCA package as over-ambitious, unrealistic and too costly. By some estimates the NCCA plans would cost some €50 million.
The Minister, in her letter to chief executive of the NCCA Anne Looney is clearly concerned about the capacity of the education system to cope with such revolutionary change. She says parents, teachers and the public would take time to come to terms with such radical change. She warns that such change could only be implemented in the medium to long-term.
The Minister also makes great play of the high status of the Leaving Cert among the public. Yes, the exam may place great strain on students but it is highly regarded internationally and it is trusted as a decent guide by employers and the public.
The Minister is also aware that there is little public clamour for radical change of the kind proposed by the NCCA.
There is a marked reluctance among the public to tamper with the current exam system and risk a "dumbing down" of the kind evident in other countries. The Minister has other practical problems with the NCCA proposals. She doubts the capacity of many teenage boys for self-directed learning when so many are under-performing in the current exam-focused environment.
So what is likely to happen? The Minister has said she is not interested in "change for change's sake" in the exam system. The expectation is that she may take practical steps to reduce pressure on students, such as backing two exams, but radical transformation appears to be off the agenda.