Skip to main content

Now Is The Time To Re-Examine The Irish Education System

There have been plenty of questions and concerns raised regarding this year’s leaving cert since its cancellation. But leaving aside this year’s leaving cert, now is the time that we should be looking at the whole system of transitioning from second level to third level education.

The current points system is flawed, as it focuses on overall results, rather than suitability for third level courses. A wide range of subject choices, and most students taking seven or eight subjects for their final secondary exam, means that students are assessed based on how they perform overall, rather than looking at the necessary subjects for their third level choices.

A narrowing of subject choices, and the complete freedom of choice for subjects, would allow fifth and sixth year students to begin focusing on their future career path. The idea of mandatory subjects for the leaving cert belongs in the bin. Two particular subjects come to mind for me, maths and French. I have never used the complicated, near scientific level of higher level maths that I spent three years studying, and when I visited Belgium this year I struggled to put a sentence of French together, again after three years of senior cycle.

I went on to study History and Gaeilge in the University of Limerick, so King Lear, the Pythagoras Theorem, and the French language were of no use to me whatsoever. Yet my future depended on my performance in these irrelevant subjects, and the same applies today.

Reducing the number of subjects required from six to four, and abolishing mandatory subjects would allow students to focus on subjects that matter to them and their future career. It would allow ease the stress of actually sitting the leaving cert, and would allow a more spaced schedule of exams when it comes to the beginning of June.

The Junior Cycle is the time for students to sample and test their strength in a variety of subjects, but when it comes to Senior Cycle, it should be focused on preparing students for a third level education in their field of choice.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sinn Féin Pre-Election Analysis

  Operating off the recent in-depth RedC poll, while taking other recent polls into account, one thing is certain, Sinn Féin will have a time-machine on the top of their list to Santa if the election isn’t called before Christmas. It seems like it was only yesterday when the party was polling in the mid-30s, reaching a high of 36%, and seemed like a government in waiting if they managed to get some smaller parties and independents on board. What must have been a scramble for candidates to even get within a whiff of a majority, now some tough decisions will have to be made as to whether they will even run a second candidate in some constituencies. Keep in mind that in some constituencies where the polled well in 2020, and were polling very well in polls, such as Donegal, Cavan-Monaghan, and Louth, there were rumours of a third candidate being added in the 5-seater constituencies where they were polling close to 50% of the vote. When once there were talks of 60+ seats, now they...
Post a Comment
Read more

Limerick Mayoral Election Still Facing Delays

It was an honour to don the Limerick Mayoral chains in 2015 for Limerick Council's inaugural Oíche Gaeilge, which I had established during my first year on the Council to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge. I was acting as Deputy Mayor for this event, and once more during my council term, at the opening of the new facility for the Irish Wheelchair Association. While I enjoyed the experiences, I would much rather see a Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected by the people of Limerick; but as I stated on national radio this week, I wouldn't be surprised if the people of Limerick are left waiting until 2024 before they can cast their vote. The details of what role the new Mayor of Limerick will play in terms of the Council dynamic, and what powers they will have, are yet to be finalised. We don't know about election spending, if there will be a directly elected Deputy Mayor, and how the Mayor will work with the CEO, a position that would surely become redundant after the election, b...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's The Beef With Beef ?

The Irish Beef Industry has been going through turbulent times recently, most notably because of the proposed Mercosur deal and the prices farmers receive for their cattle. We haven't even reached Brexit yet, and are still weeks out from the latest withdrawal deadline, and beef farmers are at their wits end. But how has it got to this and can farmers cope if there is a no-deal Brexit? Farmers' incomes are under threat, not just because of the reasons outlined above, but also because of the threat to grants which keep small and medium farms in business. The recent EU elections have seen the status quo remain in the European Parliament, with parties of the right keeping their large dominance of the union. There has been some debate surrounding the EU's agricultural plan over the course of the previous five year parliament, particularly regarding the EU's farm subsidy. Now that the elections are over, the EU government could proceed with plans which could see a standard ...
Post a Comment
Read more