TESTING TIMES FOR 135,000 STUDENTS

Leaving & Junior Cert exams begin

MORE than 135,000 students will sit down and begin their Leaving and Junior Certificate exams today – including 100 pupils from Libya.

The State Examinations Commission said pupils will be tested in 5,697 main and 9,000 special examination centres across more than 800 secondary schools.

Those in further education settings, Youthreach settings, prisons, youth detention centres, and private colleges will also be putting pen to paper this morning. The first exam will be English Paper 1, followed by Home Economics, Scientific, and Social this afternoon.

Also opening exam booklets will be 100 Leaving Cert students from Libya.

They are from the International School of the Martyrs in Tripoli – but in recent years students have been forced to travel to Malta or Ireland to do their exams due to the unstable political and security situation in the North African country. A total of 63,539 students will take part in both the Leaving Certificate and Leaving Cert Applied while 71,494 will take on the Junior Certificate – bringing the total number to 135,033.

The traditional Leaving Certificate will finish on June 27, Leaving Cert Applied will wrap up on June 15 and the Junior Cert will be done by June 19.

Because of an increase in examiners students who sit the Leaving Cert will get their results on August 25. Education Minister Norma Foley said yesterday: “To all candidates, I extend the very best of luck and good wishes as you begin your examinations.

“This is an opportunity to showcase the hard work and time you have dedicated to your studies and the wide range of knowledge you have acquired.”

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: “While undoubtedly this is a time of pressure and it is challenging, the work you’ve put in over the years will stand to you.”