Consistency of driving-test standards
Quinn reports complaints that testers apply inconsistent standards and urges better recruitment and training. Barrett says supervisors conduct spot checks to promote uniformity and undertakes to look into the availability of check details.
Is the Minister aware that there is considerable disquiet among those people who were fortunate enough to get a driving test prior to his October decision and among tutors in driving schools, relating to the uneven standard that driving testers apply to applicants for driving tests? Would he not consider that there is a need to improve the methods of recruiting and the methods of training so that the schools which train people for driving tests would have a much better understanding of what it is in fact they are trying to educate people for?
Comment on this
We are near the end of Question Time. I am simply asking the Minister if his attention has been drawn to representations which have been made to me about the disquiet among certain people because of the unevenness of standard of the driving test put by driving testers? For example, one driving tester would ask one question on one day and the same question on another day and look for contradictory replies.
Comment on this
On different occasions supervisors sit in the back seat during the test in order to ensure that the approach of testers is uniform throughout the system. I know that that happens and should happen regularly.
Comment on this
The whole point of my question is this: on that very point the Minister said that the details of such spot checks were not readily available. It is that area that I would suggest the Minister might look at.