Cork senator slams exam board for higher level maths paper wording

A Cork senator has criticised the State Examinations Board for the phrasing of the higher level maths paper 1.

Three days into the Leaving Cert examination, word emerged of a “whopper” of a maths paper, said Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard.

The wording of the questions meant that students found it difficult to understand what was being asked of them, he said.

The Dyslexia Association of Ireland has been campaigning for extra time to be allotted for examinations.

“And what did the State Examination Board do? They didn’t give them the extra time,” said Mr Lombard, who added they instead brought forward more “wordy questions” into the paper.

“This is a really significant issue, three days into an examination which is hard on a good day without making it very hard by what they’ve done.

“There are significant questions here for the State Examinations Board, significant questions for the minister, and I would respectfully state that the minister needs to make a response.

“The real issue here is that confidence has been shattered with the schooling community in the last few days. 

“I’ve had parents, teachers, and students talk to me about this.

“The State Examination Board needs to make a decent statement rather than the statement they brought forward so far, which in many ways isn’t appropriate in any way,” said Mr Lombard.

“I think the widespread and genuine concerns raised by students, teachers, and parents following the higher level maths paper 1 have to be acknowledged.

“My own kids are not yet at the state examination stage but it’s not hard to imagine the concern parents had for their Leaving Cert child based on the conversations I had. Every student, parent, or teacher I met told the same story of panic, tears, and worry.

“At a time when we know young people are under pressure, you would have to question the wisdom of the SEC putting on a paper which was so unexpected and alien to all students, from those looking for high grades and expecting to study maths at third level to those working hard for a lower grade and the valuable bonus points for doing higher level maths.

“In the weeks leading up to the exams, I supported the call of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland for extra time in state exams for students with dyslexia who need additional time to read and process the questions.”