The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Too much hype around Leaving Cert
WITH Ireland’s State Examinations getting underway today (Wednesday), Listowel counsellor and psychotherapist Robert Patterson has appealed for less pressure to be piled on students, particularly those sitting the Leaving Cert.
Mr Patterson feels that the hype surrounding the exam is putting undue stress on young people: “There’s far too much emphasis on the Leaving Cert. It’s built up as something that will define you for the rest of your life, when that simply isn’t the case,” he says
“There are many aspects of the Irish education system that I would praise, but the attention on this one set of exams is extraordinary. The system should embrace the experience of learning, and other aspects of education, rather than just weighting everything on the Leaving Cert.”
“Some people just aren’t academic, whereas the Leaving Cert is entirely academic. It’s unfair on them, and it’s pressure that they don’t need,” he says.
Fergal Daly, an English teacher at Pobalscoil Corca Dhuibhne in Dingle, slammed the Irish media’s approach to reporting on the exams: “It’s ridiculous, you wouldn’t get it in New York or London. We’re the only country I know of that has special supplements in newspapers devoted to the Leaving Cert. I also remember Leaving Cert hotlines being opened to students some years back; it’s incredible.”
Mr Daly was particularly critical of the English Leaving Cert paper and the pressure it puts on teachers and students, with particular attention on the notorious prescribed poetry question.
“There’s eight poets on the curriculum every year, and four come up in the paper. It’s guesswork figuring out what to learn, and when revising you need to cover a few poems from five poets just to be safe. Even then, you could still get stuck with a very difficult question,” he says.
“Even though it’s only worth 50 marks, it’s the main focus by everyone ahead of paper two. I’d love to see it relaxed, but considering that they’ve also gone and made the comparative question more difficult, it’s more likely that the test will get tougher.”
Mr Patterson agreed that the media can be overpowering in their coverage of exams, but feels that all sections of society feed into the hype:
“We’re all responsible. Some parents, teachers, and others really buy into the idea that the Leaving Cert is all that matters.”
“I’m from the UK, and I can safely say that the education system in Britain is less dependent on one set of exams than Ireland. The UK media and society as a whole are also far less overpowering in covering exams.”
Mr Daly was keen to assure students that the Leaving Cert is not as vital as it’s made out to be. “People act as if it’s all that matters. But even if you don’t do well in the exams, there’s more avenues than ever before that’ll get you back on track towards what you want to do,” he says. “That’s not what’s put out there, but it’s the truth.”