OK, I admit I’m stirring it with that title, but hot on the heels of that last story from Ireland comes this one announcing proposed changes to the Irish system.
The bit at the bottom is bound to stir up a hornets nest:
Currently, test pass rates vary hugely from centre to centre, with almost half of all learners failing the test.
For example, in 2011, 68 per cent of drivers passed the test in Ennis, Co Clare, but just 40 per cent passed in Kilkenny and in Rathgar, Dublin.
While the RSA defends the variation, it is understood next year’s review will tackle the issue “to ensure uniformity of the driving test”.
Oh dear! They even put it in inverted commas, so they know already what will happen. Let’s just hope someone in Ireland understands the true implications of varying pass rates and doesn’t just end up blaming it on the examiners. And let’s also hope they understand the implications of foisting variances on Irish examiners employed by a system which is less than two years old, and which replaced total anarchy.