It is clear that Minister for Education Mary Hanafin is cautious about proposals from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) for far-reaching reform of the Leaving Certificate.
She backs the plan for an additional exam in each subject earlier in the last school year to help to relieve the stress of one final examination at the end of the year.
Otherwise, she seems unconvinced about the feasibility of much of the NCCA proposals. Such change, she says, can only be implemented over a significant period of time having regard to the cost and the capacity of the system at large to cope.
The NCCA proposals were famously dubbed the "Rolls Royce" option by the Minister in an interview with this newspaper. They are certainly very ambitious. Instead of one terminal exam, students would complete a two/three year Leaving Cert with a rolling series of exams during this period. The NCCA had other bold ideas: so-called "short courses" which would give students a chance to sample a range of subjects like drama and enterprise and "transition units" where elements of the transition year programme would be incorporated into the Leaving Cert exam. The NCCA has not put a price tag on its proposals, but some estimate it could cost up to €50 million .
The NCCA is correct when it says there is much that is wrong with the current Leaving Cert. The exam places an undue emphasis on rote learning and on the regurgitation of huge chunks of material against the clock. It does little to promote self-directed learning. It gives little credit for personal initiative and flair. Most of all, it tests a relatively narrow range of skills. For all that, the exam is not without its strengths. It rated highly in a comparative study with British A-levels and is highly regarded and trusted by parents, the public, and by prospective employers. Critically, it is an exam where there is no scope for political interference.
Ms Hanafin has signalled support for a second assessment component. Otherwise she seems lukewarm about the NCCA plan. She wants to ensure that public confidence in the exam system is maintained and the danger of "dumbing down" resisted. These are worthy objectives but they should not be used as an excuse for inaction. The NCCA has done a useful job in highlighting many unsatisfactory aspects of the current exam. Some of its proposals are overambitious and too costly. But the council underpins how the current system is failing upwards of 40 per cent of students who either drop out of school or perform poorly in the exam. It has passed the baton to the Minister. A former teacher herself, she is well qualified to adjudicate on the NCCA arguments.