Universities reject concerns student grades are artificially hiked

UNIVERSITIES have rejected concerns that student grades are being hiked, despite Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe's ordering an analysis of awards going back over a decade. The review of so-called "grade inflation" by his officials follows concerns raised by multinational employers that standards may have dropped in third-level degrees and the Leaving Certificate, which some critics have suggested has been dumbed down as evidenced by rising numbers of top grades. Former Intel chairman Craig Barrett recently commented that Ireland needs to improve its education system to continue attracting technological investment, pointing particularly to the average performance of Irish students in maths and science.

Mr O'Keeffe said factors such as revised curricula, greater focus on exams and better training for teachers, may have influenced increases in top Leaving Certificate results. But, he said, there is a perception of a significant increase in the number of first class honours being offered in the third level sector. "I want to make sure there is quality, first of all, in the third-level sector and, secondly, that there's consistency right across the board."

He wants to be able to assure overseas employers, who give work to more than 200,000 Irish people, that, for example, the quality of a PhD in one third-level institution equates to that of all other institutions.

The National University of Ireland (NUI) said a rise in first-class honours awards in its four constituent colleges (NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth, University College Cork and University College Dublin) came about after non-Irish external examiners a decade ago pointed out the relatively low level of top awards in Ireland. The proportion of students graduating with first class honours rose from 9.4% in 1999 to 17.8% in 2005, a trend believed to reflect international patterns (it fell back to 15.6% in 2007).

"We have no fears about the outcome of the department's study and we feel the real threat to educational standards is the diminution of resourcing to the universities," said NUI registrar Dr Attracta Halpin.

Dublin City University (DCU) president Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski said grade inflation is certainly not happening at third level. He said competition for third level places has led students to work in a more targeted way to get the best possible results, and grades are double-checked by external examiners.

Ireland-based Google vice-president John Herlihy said the company is pleased Mr O'Keeffe is looking into the question of grade inflation, as Ireland's education system has been a critical attraction for US investment and it is imperative that the integrity of our third level system is maintained.

Launching Maths Week at St Fanahan's College in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, Mr O'Keeffe said legislation to merge existing third-level awarding bodies and the Irish Universities Quality Board should be passed later this year, opening the way for an independent body to oversee quality assurance of all third-level qualifications.