Tag Archives: Leaving Cert

2020 has surely been the oddest year to be a Leaving Cert student, with the exam, the great rite of passage, not actually happening at all but the young people still getting a set of results. Despite results being distributed online these days, until now former students have still come to St Caimin’s to meet their former classmates on teachers on the big day, but it couldn’t happen this week. “No, unfortunately not, it was another one of those things that were denied to the year group I’m afraid. It’s an awful shame, it’s normally a great day when you meet them all and wish them all the best. It would have been a logistical nightmare to bring them in,” said principal Alan Cunningham. He feels those whose school days concluded in 2020 have missed out on an awful lot of important experiences. “There was so much denied to them. We’d always have a graduation mass celebration, our awards ceremony, …

THE Leaving Cert is one of the great Irish rites of passage but the class of 2020 will never negotiate it. It may not be ideal but Alan Cunningham, principal of St Caimin’s in Shannon, feels it is probably the least worst option at this stage. “Yeah, the unknown was the disaster for everyone. Taking into account everyone’s wellbeing, keeping them hanging until July 29, when it might not have happened either. They had to come up with some kind of plan and it is what it is now, we can all get on with it and see how it comes out the other end.” Some young people are happy with the idea of predicted grades, but not everyone is, he feels. “There’s a fair mix. You’d have some people delighted with it and some people who would feel they have a better chance on the day, with the paper. Every student has their individual way of looking at it. …

LIKE thousands of schools across the country, St Anne’s Community College in Killaloe remains closed in a bid to limit the spread of the Coronavirus. And while the 500-strong student body are following the new rules of social distancing and staying apart, they are coming together online to keep their spirits up and to avail of support and guidance in these challenging times. School Chaplain Karol Torpey, who lives in Feakle, told The Champion that the school’s social platforms have come to fore in the current crisis. “Our Facebook page, Humans of St Anne’s Community College, is now operating as a virtual chaplain’s office. It’s a way of getting as much support and advice to people as possible and of gauging how people are feeling.” The importance of staying apart in order to protect the vulnerable is one key message that the school has been promoting across its social channels: “We have been working hard to get the message of …

Almost 121,500 Leaving and Junior Certificate students began their written exams across the country this morning (Wednesday). In Clare, in the region of 2,800 students are sitting exams. Education Minister Richard Bruton extended good wishes to students, reminding them that while these exams are important, “they were just one pathway in education”. “A range of opportunities now exists which will help students to fulfil their ambitions,” he said. Nearly 57,000 Leaving Cert students kicked off the exam with English Paper 1 this morning. Around 62,000 Junior Cert students faced the English and CSPE exam. It is the first exam under the new junior cycle English programme, where the paper accounts for 90% of the grade.

Alcohol Action Ireland is encouraging parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with alcohol ahead of the release of the Leaving Certificate results on Wednesday. “Students deserve to go out, celebrate getting their results with their friends and we hope they enjoy marking this milestone in their young lives,” said Conor Cullen, head of advocacy and communications with Alcohol Action Ireland. “We know that, for a significant number of young people, their plans to celebrate this week will include alcohol and this is reflected by the fact that they are being targeted by venues, particularly through social media, with drinks promotions that encourage the type of harmful alcohol consumption that is a threat to their health and wellbeing,” said Mr Cullen. “It is also important to remember that many young people attending venues running these types of promotions will be going there having already consumed alcohol, with the widespread availability of very cheap alcohol on offer in the …

More than 2,680 students attended exam centres in Clare on Wednesday morning for the start of the Leaving and Junior Certificate exams. Almost 1,300 students were expected to sit the Leaving Cert in the county, according to the State Examinations Commission. This year 659 girls are sitting the Leaving Cert in the Banner County compared to 630 boys. More than 80 students in Clare were registered for the Leaving Cert Applied, 35 girls and 46 boys. More than 1,390 students began the Junior Certificate at exam centres around Clare on Wednesday morning, 761 girls and 632 boys. Nationwide some 120,000 candidates began their Leaving and Junior Certificate examinations across over 5,000 examination centres. The new Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, and the Minister of State for Training and Skills, John Halligan TD, both extended their best wishes to students beginning examinations. Minister Bruton commended the efforts of students, saying: “There is great value in everything that students …

Alcohol Action Ireland is encouraging parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with alcohol ahead of their Leaving Certificate results on Wednesday. “It’s natural that young people receiving their Leaving Cert results want to go out and celebrate with their friends. This is an important milestone for them and they should enjoy the celebrations,” said Suzanne Costello, CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland. “Getting the Leaving Cert results can be an emotional and, for some, stressful time, particularly for those who may not have done quite as well as they had hoped. If you add alcohol into the mix this can make an already challenging situation even more difficult for young people and put their health and safety at risk, particularly if they drink to levels they haven’t done before,” said Ms Costello. Alcohol Action Ireland is urging parents to play their part in ensuring their children stay safe and well by talking to them about their plans …

It’s day two (Thursday) in the exam halls  for 3,000 Clare teenagers who are sitting the Junior and Leaving Certificate. Only a small number of Leaving Cert students at taking the engineering paper this morning but it will be the English paper 2 for everybody in the afternoon. For those following the Leaving Certificate  Applied course, exams include sign language and French/German/Spanish or Italian. Junior Cert students have Irish papers 1 and 2 today. Tomorrow brings geography, environmental and social studies and maths. The Leaving Certs it’s geography and maths paper 1, while the Leaving Cert Applied have maths applications and hotel catering and tourism.