Sir, - Students have just been through the most disruptive academic year in living memory, yet Leaving Certificate results are consistently and significantly better than last year. This indicates either that this year's crop are head and shoulders smarter or harder-working than the class of 2000 (unlikely); or that the Department of Education has pre-empted any cry of "foul" arising from the ASTI dispute to dumb down the standards and provide higher points all round.
How can 35 per cent more students in 2001 get a B3 or better in higher-level English than last year, or 50 pert cent more get an A in higher level mathematics?
Perhaps if the ASTI takes more severe industrial action in the coming school year, we expect even better results? The continuing upward trend in grades points firmly to lower standards in the severity and marking of exam papers rather than a significant increase in the ability of the students year on year.
The Leaving Certificate has lost any semblance of being a true stand-alone test of a student's ability, and its lack of consistency makes it impossible to compare points achieved by students in different years. - Yours, etc.,
Redmond Mc Auliffe, Manor Heath, Dublin 16.