Sir, - I have recently become aware of the marking scheme applied to students who do their Leaving Certificate through Irish. I understand that the first digit of each subject's mark is added to the second digit to arrive at a result. For example, if a candidate scores 82 per cent, eight per cent is added, the result is now 90 per cent, and a B1 becomes an A1 - a difference of 15 points and a very significant change.
Recently, one of your readers praised the Leaving Certificate for its fairness and equal treatment of candidates. I wonder whether he was aware of this marking scheme, by which one's grade goes up automatically once one reaches 46 per cent. I have heard this described as positive discrimination. It is nothing of the sort. The manipulation of examination results for an external purpose is academically unsound and iniquitous. In effect, one's grade can be altered on grounds that have nothing whatsoever to do with one's knowledge of the subject.
I am aware of no study that measures the effectiveness of this curious method of reviving the Irish language, but I have my doubts about it. What is more, the knowledge of Irish needed to answer in different subjects varies greatly. Mathematics, for example, requires far less proficiency in Irish than History, but there is no corresponding variation in the bonus awarded. Furthermore, I am not aware that there are penalties for writing bad or illiterate Irish.
This scheme distorts examination results, is inequitable and indefensible, and ought to be abandoned. - Yours, etc., Gormlaith O Corrain,
Leaving Certificate Year,
Colaiste Chnoc na Trocaire,
Baile an Easpaig, Corcaigh.