The Department of Education have denied a request to add a further 30 minutes to the current Junior Cert English paper.
The news of the refusal will come as blow to many students sitting the exam next summer as many agreed to sign Tara O’Sullivan’s recent petition because they thought the sample and mock papers for the exam did not include enough time
However, speaking today Gary Ó Donnchadha from the Department of Education said the shorter exam was necessary in order to provide more assessments being done in the classroom.
Mr O’Donnchadla said: “Adding on time to the examination would be in our view the wrong thing to do, bearing in mind the many new ways teachers and schools have of capturing and celebrating the learning in Junior Cycle.”