The Canadian company linked to errors in the Leaving Cert calculated grades system has been paid €33,000 more to-date by the Department of Education than previously reported.
Polymetrika, the external contractor who programmed the code found to include errors that affected thousands of students, has been paid approximately €193,000 for its services until the end of September.
Last week after details of the errors were first made public, the department put this figure at approximately €160,000.
In response to a parliamentary question put to her by Labour TD Sean Sherlock, the Minister for Education Norma Foley confirmed the spending on the contract so far is €33,000 more than reported last week.
In her written answer to Mr Sherlock, Ms Foley said Polymetrika played an “integral” part in the development and implementation of the calculated grades model.
The company was contracted to provide “statistical and psychometric expertise”, initially as part of contingency planning in the event of the Leaving Certificate not taking place as planned, she said.
The contract was extended to implement the calculated grades model under pre-agreed terms of contract, after the decision on May 8 to postpone the Leaving Cert exams.
“The value of that contract was €71,500 to cover 65 days. Any additional days are to be charged at €1,100 per day.”
No one wants to penny-pinch on something as important as the Leaving Certificate but we must have absolute transparency.
The awarding of the contract did not go through the normal procurement process, she confirmed.
“Due to the time constraints, the department availed of the procurement process known as the negotiated procedure without prior publication.”
This is used in cases of “extreme urgency”, she added.
“To date, the total gross cost of services provided by Polymetrika under contract has been approximately €193,000 which reflects services provided to the end of September."
“This expenditure reflects their work in both the contingency planning and the development and statistical work around the operation of the model.”
Separately, the department has also not finalised the costs associated with an external review of the errors carried out by Educational Testing Service, she added.
The amount of public money spent on the calculated grades system without public tender is a “matter of confidence for people”, according to Sean Sherlock.
“No one wants to penny-pinch on something as important as the Leaving Certificate but we must have absolute transparency and clarity on public monies being spent at all times.” “Especially when that money is then on a rolling basis.”
A series of three-known errors with the Leaving Cert calculated grades system are believed to have resulted in students receiving almost 15,000 incorrect grades.
This included 6,870 grades issued to 6,100 students that were lower than what the student deserved.
Separately, the Department of Education has also confirmed that it estimates almost 8,000 grades higher than they should have been also issued to students as a result of its errors.
