The Network for Irish Educational Standards

This is a collaborative effort by a group of academics seeking to explore the degree to which grade
inflation is affecting the Irish educational system and to draw the attention of policy makers and the
public at large to the deleterious impact it has on education. A series of detailed research reports are
available here which describe the extent, causes and impact of grade inflation in the University and
Institute of Technology sectors and in the Leaving Certificate examination. Contributions and
opinions are welcome from anyone interested in the quality of Irish education

Grade Inflation:
• is the progressive award of higher grades without improved learning
• pervades the Irish Institutes of Technologies and Universities
• arises from lowering standards so as to prevent weak students from failing
• undermines educational quality and the value of qualifications
• masks the negative impact of underfunding and poor quality education