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

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

A 2023 Election Not To Be Ruled Out

  With the Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Green Party coalition now entering its third year of a maximum five-year term, many are of the opinion that the trio will ride out the rather undesirable polling figures and wait until the last possible moment to call another general election. Another common opinion is that an election will be called in the second half of 2024, how late in that half dependent on the results of the European and Local elections in May of that year. Both valid points, particularly the latter; a bumper budget in October, semi-decent canvassing weather, and pre-empting the inevitable winter healthcare crisis, all make for a workable scenario for the government parties. However, strategically speaking, taking those points and applying them to October 2023 may make more sense for Martin, Varadkar, and Ryan, should they be willing to gamble their final year of the term for the prospects of another five-year stint running Leinster House. Despite current polling having ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Biden Allowed Trump To Pay So Little Taxes

Joe Biden has come out with an unsurprising attack on Donald Trump for paying just $750 in Federal Income Tax, with reports that Trump paid virtually no FIT for the 10-15 years prior, due to bad business affairs. And while it is an unfair system that sees Trump and other millionaires pay so little tax, it must be pointed out that in 2016 Joe Biden was the Vice President of the USA. He has been the VP since 2008, which is possibly the last time Trump paid FIT, though more details will surely come out over the coming weeks. Joe Biden has spent 8 years as VP, and decades as a Senator, overseeing the various tax loopholes that allow millionaires and billionaires to get away without paying their fair share of taxes. Yet here he is today saying that millionaires and billionaires need to pay their fair share of taxes. Joe has had ample time to ensure that the super-wealthy pay "their fair share", but has decided to wait until little over a month before the Pr...
Post a Comment
Read more