Letter to the Editor
Leaving certificate students are hoping to make the public and the government aware of the detrimental effects that the postponement of state exams could have on the nation.
They say any postponement could affect the economy, our public health, the education system and the well-being of students and teachers. They say: “We are your future citizens and we want a voice.”
Shannon leaving certificate student Aaron Raftery penned this letter to the editor.
Dear those who care,
Discussing with others, it seems that everyone I know, myself included, is struggling to focus to the same degree they once could before this quarantine. Reading ‘The Shining’ at the moment has really highlighted just how mad one can become due to cabin fever, and although I’m trying my best to get out of the house to walk and breathe, the amount of schoolwork and study needed at this time takes up the grand sum of my day.
The Department of Education must consider our mental well-being during these times of great stress and uncertainty. Waking up early to study, spending the day working through eight subjects, trying to keep up with work assigned and get a little ahead – all so much for us at a time so daunting.
The first official Leaving Certificate exam occurs in less than a month and here I sit uncertain of its outcome.
My life has been brought to a halt – summer plans cancelled, concerts and festivals called off, the chances of a summer job slim, and the hopes of spending that last sunny month of school with all my friends extinguished.
Yet, they expect us to sit exams.
Cases are rising exponentially, businesses are closing, and jobs are being lost. The country is in a state of panic, and it is in this panic where students must study and finish their syllabus.
The final months leading to the Leaving Certificate are stressful enough for a normal year, without any national outcries of disease and closures, so to think that we could so easily ‘trudge on’ and ‘get to work’ is absurd. Courses are unfinished. Online classes don’t work. Students don’t have the necessary technology or internet access. Outside noise distracts us from study. Projects seem doomed. We, the students of Ireland, are struggling.
Typically, we wake early, go to school, come home and relax…but without school there comes a dilemma most adults are neglecting.
Without school there is no home. There is no place to relax, and there is nowhere to escape to. I have struggled to sleep the last number of weeks. I toss and turn and find myself staring at my desk as I anticipate what will avail of our final exams. The lack of understanding from those in charge is driving us to believe we will have our exams as normal this year – which makes no sense to me.
A normal examination would require a normal teaching year to be had. Drastic times call for drastic measure and it feels obvious to everyone that I talk to that there is only one fair solution to all our stress – predicted grades.
A combination of teacher assessment, past exams, official projects, and looking at examples of a student’s past work will give a clear indication as to what sort of student they are and the grade they deserve to achieve for each subject. A clear focus needs to be put on getting students to their desired college course, for that’s what the Leaving Cert should all be about – not the actual sitting of these exams, but a stepping stone to further education or the workforce.
The exams are now set to take place in July, but with no concrete plan, no certainty, and no real communication to the public, the students haven’t been given any clarity. It’s as if we could see the finishing line of our marathon and were suddenly told there’s another mini marathon that we must run to achieve our medal.
The danger involved with making us sit these exams is being overlooked. Both mental and physical health is being put at risk for the sake of having a traditional set of exams, for a non-traditional year group.
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 is on the rise, and with no signs of slowing down anytime soon it seems dishonest to say we will have exams this summer.
We need our voice to be heard. It’s our future.
From a concerned student,
Aaron Raftery