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THE GOVERNMENT HAS expressed hope that a decision on this year’s Leaving Cert could be made next week but the issue was not discussed by Cabinet today.
Ministers had raised hopes that clarity could be brought to the situation today but those hopes faded following a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-committee on Education yesterday.
The Advisory Group tasked with plotting a course for the examinations met again today with Education Minister Norma Foley in attendance.
The group includes representatives of students, parents, teachers, school leadership and management bodies, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the Department of Education.
A government spokesperson said this afternoon that there is a desire for this process to advance so it can be discussed at Cabinet next Tuesday.
Students due to the Leaving Cert this year missed almost three months of in-class teaching last year and have already missed a month this year, with no timeline yet set for the return to class teaching since Christmas.
Among the options for the Leaving Cert include holding the exams in the traditional manner or repeating last year’s calculated grades system. A hybrid model of the two has also been suggested.
Unions have argued that the Leaving Cert should go ahead in the traditional manner but a number of opposition parties have said that an alternative should be found.
Last year, Leaving Cert students were given calculated grades instead of the traditional exam.
Labour’s Aodháin Ó Ríordáin TD expressed frustration today that a review into last year’s process has not been completed.
“If that had happened at that time we would have learnt our lessons and be in a better position to make a decision as to what should happen with the Leaving Cert cohort,” Ó Riordain said.
Absolutely nothing has happened in terms of the independent review. Now we are faced with making a decision with no information and no lessons having been learned.
He added that his party believes calculated grades should be used again.
“The decision needs to be made now – it’s not fair on students watching the news every day to learn what is happening next. We have no idea when they will be back in schools,” he said.
Offer a calculated grade to every student and and after that, if a student isn’t happy with that grading system, they can return and do a written exam.
Gary Gannon TD of the Social Democrats also said that Leaving Cert should not go ahead and that repeated grades should be used again.
“Over the last couple of days there has been talk about a blended option offered to students, it’s such a level of uncertainty,” Gannon added.
“I think calculated grades give students a certainty of what will happen.
The blended options means that one cohort will be taking one exam and the other cohort of students will be taking another exam. When the students do get back to school it’s going to be impossible for teachers to teach two different classes, taking different approaches to the Leaving Cert.
“There will also be potential problems on the horizon in the sense of college offers going out in the summer, which will be given the greater weight?”
Sinn Féin has said that students should be given an option of whether they wish to sit their exams.
“If calculated grades are used, then there are fairer ways of checking their accuracy. The minister must urgently examine how this will be done. We do not want to see a repeat of last year – unfair algorithms and school profiling must not be used, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD said.
“Sinn Féin also believe it is crucial that students who want to sit written Leaving Cert exams are given the option to do so.
“The detail of this will be important – what will the alternative be, how will the grades be arrived at, the role of teachers in this. I think the choice needs to be on a no detriment basis, so that students can avail of the better mark in their CAO.”
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Parents creating mental issues where there are none. Life sometimes throws a curve ball. Stay positive. Adapt. Invent. Deal with it.
@Wood Jackson: There are massive problems for children. Being stuck at home and banned for all social activities for 3 months, has made so many confident happy children nervous and afraid to leave their parents. Same for older people.
@Wood Jackson: totally agree, parents need to think outside the box, I know too many parents that they are covering up “I can’t deal with the kids” with ” I’m concerned about what it will do, please open everything”.
I’ve done stuff with my kids that we never ever had a chance before, so much great times we have had. In our house it will be the impact on family life that will change for the worse when things get more normal.
@Wood Jackson: its very tough for children who have no siblings or friends and not getting attention from parents who are working all day from home.
Thankfully playgrounds are back open now, so hopefully things will turn around for these kids now.
@Wood Jackson: These kind of flippant stiff upper lip comments are why this country has such a problem with suicide. You have no idea what those kids are going through yet you imply, the parents, who know their children the best are ‘creating mental health issues’ What exactly do you think a parent would gain from that ?
@Wood Jackson: How you think an event, that’s touched nearly every country in the world, killed almost half a million people, stopped any form of normal life for months, not allowed embracing of loved-ones or interacting with friends, can not have a mental effect on people (incl. kids) and just needs some positivity is beyond me.
I think that attitude only futures contributes to the stigma of talking about mental health. I’d be one of the first to say kids are resilient and most will bounce back quickly when/if normality resumes but I think you’re frankly wrong in not allowing space for parents to be worried about the effect on their kids or in not believing this can have an effect on kids (“Where there are none”)
I think talking to kids regularly about how they are doing, recognising that’s it’s ok to feel down, annoyed, frustrated etc. can help encourage good conversations and avoid any bigger mental health issues down the road
@RJ: lucky you. Not everyone has been in the position where they can.
@Wood Jackson: Jebus ur clueless
@Wood Jackson: My son is a single child of 7 years. He hasn’t seen his classmates nor his best friends who is 1 year younger since the lockdown. They weren’t allowed at first and later if they would play at thst age 2m apart. You can’t have an eye on that the full time.
When homeschooling started my partner did that with him but this isn’t social interaction on an equal level, I also took him daily in the park for fitness challenges after work and spent my free days with him doing boardgames or what the 2km around town. However, I’m not 7 and my needs are different than his.
I could imagine that the lockdown time could be nice for children with siblings and parents who don’t work and can spent time with children but reality is that not every child is so lucky.
My child has changed for sure and is now glued to screens while he was otherwise far more active.
We plan now playdates with at least 1 child again and the parents again. Screw that kind of life.
@Wood Jackson: I take it you’re not a parent then ??
My kids are quite happy sitting around on their arses all day playing video games and screaming/fighting while me and my wife try to work. It’s our mental health I’m worried about!
@John Shea Hen: Lol, very true.
@John Shea Hen: I hear ya!
I think it depends on the home situation. If parents are stressed, kids will be stressed. For many kids home life wasn’t a happy place before lockdown; lockdown made it worse. My kids were most stressed when I was attempting to homeschool without a spare laptop, work from home, cook, clean and break up fights…often all at the same time…having to stay up late or get up early in the morning to catch up on work. When I let “standards slip” let them play, use their imaginations, use “nanny Mctv”, stay in their pjs all day, get take aways, do bare minimum of homeschool, leave the house messy…they were happier, I was less stressed, they were less stressed…my kids have never been more content. Kids have to learn that life is not easy or go your way
There are kids who miss months or years of school and socialising because of illness all the time. Their mental health isn’t affected long term because of this. Kids are resilient. It’s parents making an issue when there is none. 3 months out of a lifetime is nothing. They’ll be fine.
My kid absolutely loved it but got back to socializing and interacting very easily.
@Emma Dobbyn: your kids aren’t all kids. Have a bit of empathy. The idea that this isn’t an issue for some families is ridiculous. I teach 18 autistic students and this has had a terrible impact on some of them and their families.
@Graham Manning: I have plenty of empathy and I completely understand how difficult it must be for families who have children with additional needs. However the article said that 70% of parents were concerned, 70% of the children in the country do not have addition needs. If we were speaking about a subset of children my opinion would be different.
@Emma Dobbyn: “parents making an issue where there is none”??? 70%? Fair enough but it’s far from just those with SEN and certainly not none.
@Emma Dobbyn: I don’t think that’s a very good comparison. Children who miss school for months or years at a time through illness is setting the bar really low. It also doesn’t factor in how children need to stay back a year if they miss too much school.
The big problem here that nobody seems to accept is that there may be no vaccine for the virus in the medium term. It might take years and years. So what is the solution to children’s schooling needs in this scenario? They are due back after already missing 6 months of school. What if there is a big 2nd spike of the virus this autumn? Do we force another lockdown and children miss more school? What about a 3rd and 4th wave?
Maybe try being better parents then?
The message we hear since March is ‘fear through national media. Such media also implying kids were a danger for spreading the virus.
I feel sorry for the kids.
Get a grip.
Children are free to interact with other children at present , this should help socially and emotionally for the vast majority of children . Some children with additional needs require far more support. These children usually qualify for “ July Provision.” The DES have made a pig’s ear of it , vague guidelines at the last minute, as per usual .
IT JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW THE BIASED MEDIA HAS BRAINWASHED PEOPLE INTO BELIEVING THE SNOWFLAKES AND THEIR SOCIALIST IDEALS.
@Jim: HEY JIM, QUIT WITH THE BLOODY CAPS LOCK PLEASE!!!!
@Jim:
Did you have a bad lockdown, Jim?
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