LEAVING LIMBO ENDED

KERRY PRINCIPALS SAY THE GOVERNMENT’S DECISION TO CANCEL THIS YEAR’S LEAVING CERT AND REPLACE IT WITH PREDICTIVE MARKING WAS THE BEST CHOICE IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES AND PROVIDES ANXIOUS STUDENTS WITH MUCH NEEDED CLARITY.

TEACHERS and students across the county have expressed relief that months of anxiety and uncertainty about the Leaving Cert have been brought to an end with the cancellation of this year’s exams.

Though the decision to use predictive marking to grade students is not seen as ideal it is generally accepted that the innovative approach is the best option available to the Department of Eduction in current circumstances.

Principal of Presentation Secondary School in Tralee Mary Kennelly said that while the situation presents difficulties at least worried students have been given some clarity after months of uncertainty.

“Above all else I’m just glad for the students that there is finally some clarity,” said Ms Kennelly.

“A lot of times young people are called the snowflake generation. These young people really aren’t and they have had an awful lot to deal with since March”.

“We’ve all been worried about them and every one of us would be in the classroom in the morning if we could,” she said.

Principal Kennelly said that while the new arrangements are not ideal they are the best that can be put in place in the midst of the current crisis.

“I think it’s the least worst option. It’s the best that can be done in the circumstances. It’s nobody’s fault, these are just the circumstances we find ourselves in,” she said.

“No one likes it but we are all rolling up our sleeves and doing what we need to do”.

The Presentation Principal rejected suggestions that the exam results could be devalued by biased teachers and described such comments as insulting to dedicated and hard working teachers everywhere.

“I have been bowled over by our teachers and their willingness to work so hard to do what’s best for our students. I believe that teachers will do their very, very best for their students and to be fair,” said Ms Kennelly.

“It really annoys me when I see suggestions in the media that teachers will be biased, that does nobody any good,” she said.

“I have faith that the Department is doing its best and I have absolute faith that teachers around the country will do their best for their students”.

Principal of Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra in Rathmore Denis Kerins said the situation is far from ideal but it is the best that can be achieved in the current, unprecedented circumstances.

“I think it’s probably the best solution under the circumstances because it makes it definitive at least for the pupils. The pupils know what’s ahead of them now, and they still have the option of sitting the exams in some shape or form if they’re not happy with the outcome of the measures introduced,” he said.

“Obviously, it’s not as perfect as what would have been an exam from their point of view, and what they were being prepared for. But it’s difficult to come up with anything better given the circumstances.”

“It was stressful for some students, especially those who had put in an awful lot of work to it. For this to happen at such a late stage at a very busy time of the year is hard. Even to try and continue learning through ‘distance learning’ can be frustrating as well,” said Mr Kerins.

“I would say the majority of our students are very relieved, but some were also disappointed that they didn’t get their chance of sitting their exam and dealing with the work they would have anticipated”.

“I think one would need the ‘Wisdom of Solomon’ to find a solution to this. It was a ferocious job trying to come up with a solution. From what I can see there was a huge amount of work put in and it’s not as if nothing was happening behind the scenes. The people at the chalk face of this, as it were, had a volume of work to get everything in place,” Principal Kerins said.

“An awful lot was achieved by them in a short space of time and it’s all they could have done under the circumstances. Maybe down the road things will improve and we may be saying in August that we could have held the exams, but it’s impossible to know. That’s the thing about this virus, no one has any experience of it,” Mr Kerins told The Kerryman.

IT REALLY ANNOYS ME WHEN I HEAR SUGGESTIONS THAT TEACHERS WILL BE BIASED. TEACHERS WILL DO THEIR BEST BOTH FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND TO BE FAIR