Leaving Cert changes won't stand up to AI, says Colm O'Rourke
Ottoline Spearman
The new Leaving Cert changes reportedly won't stand up to AI, according to former school principal Colm O'Rourke.
A new curriculum was introduced last month and includes revised courses for biology, chemistry, physics, business and classical languages.
The new criteria for marking will see 40 per cent of students' marks from work submitted during class time.
Speaking on Newstalk, Colm O’Rourke said that the new curriculum is vulnerable to AI.
"There is a better way to go, and that is the same as is done with the oral exams in languages, the practical exams and things like art or construction studies.
"There will have to be individual attention given to each student, insofar as they will be allowed to present some material."
Distinguishing between gaining knowledge, which takes a long time, and passing exams, Mr O'Rourke said only the latter can be achieved using AI.
In his column in the Irish Independent, he wrote: "The problem for our education system is it takes a long time to get anything done. These new methods of assessment, which were probably generated a decade ago and which I, as a school principal, would have advocated at the time, have been overtaken by events.
"While we bring them into our second-level system, third-level institutions both here and in other countries are moving away from this type of marking system for the obvious reason. It is too easy to cheat."
