Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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260. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills an bhfuil cinneadh déanta maidir le líon na sraithphictiúir atá le déanamh ag daltaí atá ag ullmhú don Ardteist; an bhfuair a Roinn aon chomhfhreagras ó dhaltaí ag léiriú míshástacht faoin mbrú a chuireann an 20 sraithphictiúir reatha orthu; agus cé na hiarrachtaí atá ar bun aici chun an brú i measc an chúigiú agus an séú bliain a laghdú. [6037/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Tá na sraitheanna pictiúr mar chomhpháirt den Bhéaltriail Ghaeilge d’iarrthóirí Ardleibhéil agus Gnáthleibhéil, agus 40% de na marcanna iomlána don Ghaeilge san Ardteistiméireacht ag dul don Bhéaltriail.

Mar fhreagra ar cheisteanna a d’ardaigh an CNCM agus COGG faoin sraith pictiúr agus faoi ghnéithe comhrá den Bhéaltriail Ghaeilge, thug Coimisiún na Scrúduithe Stáit isteach coigeartuithe ar struchtúr an Bhéaltriail Chomónta do scrúduithe 2020 agus ina dhiaidh sin. Tá sé mar aidhm acu seo deiseanna breise a chruthú don idirghníomhú idir an iarrthóir agus an scrúdaitheoir agus dá réir sin scóip a thabhairt don iarrthóir a inniúlacht a léiriú ach cothromaíocht a choinneáil ag an am céanna idir na codanna éagsúla den bhéaltriail. Níor tharla na béaltrialacha in 2020 mar thoradh ar an bpaindéim.

Ó shin i leith rinneadh coigeartuithe ar shocruithe measúnaithe do na scrúduithe Stáit i bhfianaise thionchar na paindéime ar an teagasc agus ar an bhfoghlaim. Rinneadh na hathruithe agus aird chuí tugtha ar phrionsabail an chomhionannais, na cothroime agus an ionracais, maidir le comparáidí scoláire le scoláire, ábhar-le-hábhar, agus bliain le bliain. Maidir le Gaeilge na hArdteistiméireachta, i measc na gcoigeartuithe seo tá laghdú ar an líon sraitheanna pictiúr nach mór do gach iarrthóir a ullmhú, ó 20 go 10. Ar an 16 Bealtaine, d'fhógair mé go mbeadh na coigeartuithe sin i bhfeidhm arís in 2024.

Níl cinneadh déanta go fóill maidir le coigeartuithe measúnaithe do 2025. Cuirfear sonraí aon choigeartuithe measúnaithe a d’fhéadfadh a bheith i gceist do scrúduithe 2025 in iúl do na scoileanna a luaithe a bheidh cinneadh déanta, agus iarrfar ar scoileanna a chinntiú go gcuirtear gach scoláire ar an eolas faoi na hathruithe seo.

Tá comhfhreagras ar an ábhar seo faighte ó mhic léinn, mar a tharlódh le raon ábhar ó am go ham, agus tá an seasamh mar atá leagtha amach anseo léirithe sna freagraí a thugtar go díreach do na mic léinn.

The sraitheanna pictiúr, or picture sequences, are a component of the common Irish Oral test for Higher Level and Ordinary Level candidates, with the Oral test accounting for 40% of the overall marks for Leaving Cert Irish.

In response to issues highlighted in National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta research about the sraitheanna pictiúr and the conversational elements of the Oral Irish exam, the State Examinations Commission introduced adjustments to the structure of the Common Oral examination for the 2020 exams and thereafter. These aim to create greater opportunity for candidate-examiner interaction and so give the candidate scope to display their competence while keeping a balance between the different parts of the oral exam. However, the oral exams did not take place in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.

Since then there have been adjustments to assessment arrangements in light of the pandemic’s impact on teaching and learning. These adjustments have been made with due regard for the principles of equity, fairness and integrity, in relation to student-to-student, subject-to-subject, and year-to-year comparisons. They include a reduction in the number of sraitheanna pictiúr that each candidate must prepare, from 20 to 10. On the 16th of May 2023, I announced that these adjustments would apply again in 2024.

A decision has not yet been made in relation to assessment adjustments for 2025. The details of any assessment adjustments which may apply to the 2025 examinations will be communicated to schools once a decision is made, and schools will be asked to ensure that all students are made aware of these changes.

Correspondence on this matter has been received from students, as would be the case with a range of matters from time to time, and the position as outlined here is reflected in responses to students directly.