Exam Commission defends ‘school bus’ question
The Examinations Commission has defended the inclusion of a "school bus" question in this morning’s Ordinary Level Junior Cert paper, while a parents’ group has labeled the question "appalling".
Controversy has erupted following the inclusion of the question about traveling in a school bus just two weeks after five school girls were killed in Co Meath in the country’s worst ever school bus crash.
The exam commission said while it would not have been logistically possible to replace the essay question, candidates are expected to write about situations that reflect the reality of their daily lives.
It said that pupils will inevitably have to write about topics that may impact on their lives such as accidents, violence, drug abuse, crime or poverty.
However, Eleanor Petrie of the National Parents’ Council does not accept this.
She says the paper should have been substituted by the spare one, prepared in the event of the theft.
“I think it is appalling that it was allowed to go ahead with this question, knowing that we've had this national tragedy,” Ms Petrie said.
The Commission added that while it makes every effort to avoid material that might cause offence or upset, it is not possible to exclude reference to subjects that might be associated with a traumatic experience for some candidates.
