The emergence of the mobile phone and the rise of text messaging poses a significant threat to writing standards in English, according to the Department of Education's chief examiner in the subject, writes Seán Flynn, Education Editor.
In a review of standards in last year's Junior Cert, the examiner, whose identity is not released to protect the integrity of the system, laments how "text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing".
Reviewing higher-level or honours papers, he says the frequency of errors of grammar, punctuation, idiomatic usage and appropriateness of register was of concern.
"The emergence of the mobile phone and the rise of text messaging as a popular means of communication would appear to have impacted on standards of writing as evidenced in the responses of candidates. Expertise in text messaging and e-mail in particular would appear to have affected spelling and punctuation."
The popularity of text messaging may also explain the penchant among the Junior Cert students for short, sharp answers with little elaboration. The examiner complains how many candidates were "choosing to answer sparingly, even minimally, rather than seeing questions as invitations to explore the territory they had studied and to express the breadth and depth of their learning and understanding".
While pointing to some exceptionally impressive answers, the examiner says a "significant number of candidates need to further develop their proficiency in the basic elements of personal expression through writing . . . In many cases, however, candidates seemed unduly reliant on short sentences, simple tenses and a limited vocabulary."
Despite these criticisms, more than three-quarters of the 37,000 students at higher level secured grade C or higher.
Critics of academic standards in schools - particularly those in the universities - may see this as further evidence of "dumbing down" in the Irish education system.
However, research indicates that literacy standards among Irish 15- year-olds compares well with those across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Irish teenagers were among the top three performers in an international league table on literacy standards compiled by the organisation four years ago.
The chief examiner also says students should "listen to more than one radio station to hear the variety of ways in which people speak".