question on leaving cert exams postponement

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johnwilliams

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just heard the department are putting off exams to late july/aug
what is the problem with using the results of the pre junior /leaving if stuck?
 
johnwilliams said:
just heard the department are putting off exams to late july/aug
what is the problem with using the results of the pre junior /leaving if stuck?
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Would you allow the result of a friendly match decide the outcome of a cup final 4 months later?
Different schools have different aporoaches to mocks. marking standards etc
 
also, in fairness to students, the pre is a dry run, it's not intended to be the real thing. Mocks are corrected by external markers in some cases, by the school teachers in others
 
Be honest now. How many people here actually put in the proper study time for their mocks? I know back in the day, I spent significantly more time studying for finals than for mocks.
 
Do all schools run mock exams now? Been a few years since, but it was far from universal in my day.
 
The plans to cancel the leaving cert are an absolute disgrace. The Dept of Education is too weak to fulfil its primary duty.

For 14 years kids are told that the leaving cert is the culmination of their education, now it seems that it isn't important enough to make the effort to run it safely.

Whatever efforts that are needed to run the leaving cert safely, additional exam centres, (all those empty primary schools), PPE for students and supervisors, temperature checks at each centre, whatever it takes, if society cared about young people this would be done, but its all just too much bother.

There has been much praise for the public sector response to the current crises, and much of it well deserved, healthcare staff going to work knowing the risk to their own health. But if the education sector fails to hold the leaving cert exams, it will earn my contempt at least.
 
It's madness to call it off. But FF have smelt a political opportunity and SF have come running with a cancellation also.
FG have no backbone to withstand the populism so the exams are cancelled.

I expect those who aren't happy with the points they get to either go to Court or most likely, to their local FF/SF TD. Another frenzy will be whipped up and these students will be giving options such as actually sitting the exams.
 
I don't understand how this is too difficult to organise. The amount of facilities this country has on top of schools that are lying empty at the moment is huge. Social distancing would be easy to deal with. Getting people to supervise the exams wouldn't be difficult considering the amount of people we have looking for work. I can't see any reason why the actual sitting of exams would be an issue. Am probably being unfair but I wonder if this is down to reluctance of teachers to engage with classes up to end of July and then getting people to mark the exams in August.
 
I'm not sure that is it. I think they are probably looking at the knock-on effects. I know it was being discussed within Universities and had the potential to have a big knock-on effect on colleges.

If you imagine an August Leaving Cert. The earliest you are getting results is end September / October. Then the clearing process and allowing time for people to find accommodation etc. It was looking like a November start to University. Which then knocks on to the end of academic year the following year.

I suspect the thinking was to have a single point of disruption and try to get everything else on to normal routines as soon as possible
 
The cancellation of the Leaving Cert is a Government decision taken at cabinet due to compelling evidence based on medical advise.
Nothing to do with the Dept. of Education, teachers or teacher's unions.
Another neccessary decision to hasten a return to a form of normalcy.
 
EmmDee said:
I'm not sure that is it. I think they are probably looking at the knock-on effects. I know it was being discussed within Universities and had the potential to have a big knock-on effect on colleges.

If you imagine an August Leaving Cert. The earliest you are getting results is end September / October. Then the clearing process and allowing time for people to find accommodation etc. It was looking like a November start to University. Which then knocks on to the end of academic year the following year.

I suspect the thinking was to have a single point of disruption and try to get everything else on to normal routines as soon as possible
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This is a bit extreme just to avoid delaying the 1st year of college for students. It should be possible to condense the first year of study into a shorter year in the majority of university courses. This approach is going to be grossly unfair for a large number of students and will also have knock on consequences that could last years. You will students getting into the courses that they are going to struggle with. You will have to adjust any statistical impact from the points for next years students. You will have more students applying for university next year so you are impacting on next years 6th year students as well as you have a significant number of students effectively 'repeating' the leaving. I haven't heard one practical reason why exams couldn't be held. If it is as you say, they should come out and say it but they are still saying it is down to health and safety
 
Deiseblue said:
The cancellation of the Leaving Cert is a Government decision taken at cabinet due to compelling evidence based on medical advise.
Nothing to do with the Dept. of Education, teachers or teacher's unions.
Another neccessary decision to hasten a return to a form of normalcy.
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Yes, the Department Of Education had nothing to do with the decision and nor did the other stakeholders. The whole plan was put together by the Minister of Sport and the Minister of Fisheries in cooperation with the Minister Of Education and then the experts around the Cabinet table made the decision.
 
Deiseblue said:
The cancellation of the Leaving Cert is a Government decision taken at cabinet due to compelling evidence based on medical advise.
Nothing to do with the Dept. of Education, teachers or teacher's unions.
Another neccessary decision to hasten a return to a form of normalcy.
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Medical advice :rolleyes:

Joe Duffy has started a campaign to allow everyone to start whatever course in College they so wish in September and then let 1st year exams next Summer weed them out. The lunatics are running the asylum
 
Delboy said:
Medical advice :rolleyes:

Joe Duffy has started a campaign to allow everyone to start whatever course in College they so wish in September and then let 1st year exams next Summer weed them out. The lunatics are running the asylum
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Damn, I would love to have been a student doctor for a year!!
 
Sunny said:
Yes, the Department Of Education had nothing to do with the decision and nor did the other stakeholders. The whole plan was put together by the Minister of Sport and the Minister of Fisheries in cooperation with the Minister Of Education and then the experts around the Cabinet table made the decision.
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The Government made to decision
Sunny said:
Yes, the Department Of Education had nothing to do with the decision and nor did the other stakeholders. The whole plan was put together by the Minister of Sport and the Minister of Fisheries in cooperation with the Minister Of Education and then the experts around the Cabinet table made the decision.
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Medical advice was obviously the reason why the Leaving Certs exams were cancelled.
No need therefore to involve other parties as health and safety must be paramount at this time.
Tough but such is life currently.
 
Deiseblue said:
The Government made to decision

Medical advice was obviously the reason why the Leaving Certs exams were cancelled.
No need therefore to involve other parties as health and safety must be paramount at this time.
Tough but such is life currently.
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They made the decision but the plan was put together by the Department of Education and other stakeholders including teachers and universities so to say they had no involvement is ridiculous.

Easy for you to say tough but such is life. Unfortunately, we have a system where three weeks of exams have a lifelong impact on a lot of young teenagers. To introduce this is unfair on students and teachers that will have an impact that will last longer than this year and even next year. And now I find out that your schools historical performance will be taken into account when grading. So a high achieving student in a low performing social disadvantaged school is further disadvantaged. While private school students enjoy yet another advantage. Ah, I do love an Irish solution
 
RTE news reporting that the Leaving Cert exams were cancelled due to public health issues which issues currently over ride all other considerations .
As I've said it is indeed tough but unfortunately the path to a form of normalcy is strewn with such difficult decisions.
Interesting to note that the majority of students on the 6 news understood the reasons for cancellation.
 
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