The oral part of the Leaving Certificate Irish examination could be disrupted next month over a shortage of examiners.

The warning has come from a letter by the State Examinations Commission which says there is also a shortage of examiners to undertake oral tests in Spanish and Italian.

The orals are due to be held from March 23 to April 3 and it is understood the Commission needs a further 40 examiners for Irish.

"The inevitable consequences of not having sufficient examiners for 2009 is that it will not be possible to examine all candidates during the scheduled examining period," says the letter.

It adds that this will: "undoubtedly cause disruption to schools and candidates in their preparations for the other components of the 2009 Certificate examinations".

The letter says that if there are insufficient examiners, priority may be given to students in schools from which applications have been received from teachers to carry out the tests.

"The candidates in the remaining schools may then have to be scheduled to have their tests as examining resources become available after the scheduled two-week period for the tests."

The Director of the National Association and Principals and Deputies (NAPD) Clive Byrne said the Commission was anxious that experienced examiners be available and he would encourage schools to assist by releasing teachers.

Reluctance

However, it could not be assumed that the shortage was caused by any reluctance on the part of the school authorities but because teachers, particularly in urban areas, were not satisfied with the financial arrangements for undertaking the work.

It is understood the most serious shortages are in the greater Dublin area where teachers earn less for travel and subsistence as they are not travelling long distances nor staying overnight near an exam centre.

The commission's letter discloses that the Department of Education and Science has agreed to provide substitute cover where teachers are released for orals and practicals in other schools. It says the initial response to its letter has been positive.

However, even if the orals proceed as normal, there are further fears for the practicals which will be held as part of the Leaving Certificate in May.

Normally teachers were freed up in their own schools to ensure the smooth running of the practicals. Substitution has traditionally been made available as well where teachers were taking students on geography or science field trips are related to the exams. But that's no longer the case.

Instead, substitution has to be provided from the limited number of hours now made available to schools.

The fear is that schools will have used up their substitute hours by the time the practicals get under way. "We would not be able to manage if three teachers were missing when the practicals begin," said one headmaster.

- John Walshe