We need to pause Leaving Cert science reform immediately |
There are two enormous, glaring problems with the research recently published by the Irish Science Teachers Association (ISTA) about the new additional assessment components (AACs) in Leaving Cert science subjects. For these components, every student will have to carry out an individual laboratory-based investigation, worth 40 per cent of the total marks, amounting to some 50,000 investigations in biology, chemistry and physics.
The first problem is that this research should have been conducted years ago by the Department of Education, long before any senior cycle reform was implemented. Instead, it took volunteers from a teaching association to ask the obvious questions. The second is that this superb research may be ignored by anyone who has the power to effect change.
Prof Mike Watts conducted the independent analysis of an ISTA survey of science departments carried out last December. Anyone familiar with the pre-Christmas madness of exams, reports and much more in schools will be astonished at the high response rate to such a detailed survey.
Nearly half of all second-level schools responded, an indication of just how serious the issues are. The results show that it is just not possible to carry out these assessments safely or in a way that is fair to all students.
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