Grade inflation inevitable

System unfair to many students

Sir, – Your headline “Appeal for teachers to take examiner roles as State exams begin”, (News, June 8th), states that part of the delay expected in Leaving Certificate results is due to “post-marking intervention” to keep grades artificially high – or as your piece states, “to ensure grades are no lower, on average, than last year”.

This points inflation is damaging and of no benefit to anyone.

Firstly, it reduces access to high-points courses, like dentistry, to a lottery. Secondly, people seeking higher education who completed their Leaving Certificate pre-pandemic are at a significant disadvantage, with lower average grades.

Lastly, European students, who haven’t received grades inflated to Irish levels will receive fewer points than they deserve. It is a farce, typical of myopic Government policy.

READ MORE

– Yours, etc,

CONOR MAC DONNCHADHA

Ellis Quay,

Dublin 7,