"Government must decide what is happening with Leaving Cert students" - Ógra Aontú
Ógra Aontú have called for clarity from the government regarding this year's Leaving Cert students. Spokesperson for the group, Gráinne Nic Philib said:
"As a teacher myself I know the extreme stress students and their parents are enduring at this time. Last year's leaving certs were put through the mill with much confusion and direction-changing from the government. It is vital that current leaving cert students are not put through the same level of stress. They've now missed more class time than the previous year due to Covid-19. What each of these students would appreciate is clarity - a decision must be made now - will exams be going ahead or will it be predicted grades, or a combination of the two"
"The government must understand that the decisions they make have a material impact on students today. Students are currently in the dark as to whether they will sit an exam or be assessed within the predicted grades system. It is imperative that students know what is ahead of them. Having this information would enable students to plan their study and revision in line with assessment methods to maximise their chances of optimum results. This would also guide and assist teachers in planning during this remote learning period."
The sooner the government comes public with their plans the better. We cannot have another situation where students only find out about the cancellation of exams a few weeks in advance".
"Ógra Aontú want to wish every Leaving Cert student well in the exams, especially our own Lucas Meehan in Donegal who has been campaigning for his peers on this issue for many months at this stage", concluded Gráinne.
