Dublin Live student columnist Amy Donohoe gives her views on the indefinite postponement of the Leaving Certificate exams this year and whether calculated grades can ever be a fair system.

Four years ago I was preparing to sit the Leaving Certificate exams. And all I can say is that it was the most stressful time of my life. I walked to the library most days after school looking like a turtle with a gigantic bag of books on my back, not to mention the dreaded ‘study’ folder wrapped in my arms.

A few teachers put a lot of pressure on me and, honestly, they made me feel so stupid sometimes if I forgot to do a homework question or left my book at home. I don’t know why they did that, because in college most people don’t even bring a pen to class!

But I always said that if a teacher worked with me rather than against me I’d put more effort into the subject. I enjoyed English, Geography, Home Economics and Irish, and that’s where I achieved my best grades.

The teachers who taught me those subjects liked me. They never put me down and they would go out of their way to help me. I would put in the effort to get their praise and approval.

But if I were sitting the Leaving Cert this year, I wouldn’t have had extra notes printed out for me, I wouldn’t have stayed back after school and gone through exam papers with teachers and I would never have gotten so much extra support. That’s the kind of stuff so many sixth year students have been missing out on.

"I’m sure many Irish adults still have the dreaded Leaving Cert nightmares"

In all fairness, I didn’t really pull up my socks until after the mocks within my time in school. I achieved about 200 points in my mock exams and I got over double of that in the actual exams. So I can’t imagine how nervous current students are feeling. Many people spent a lot of money on expensive grinds, the Gaeltacht, online notes and it’s all gone down the drain.

But for many students, the recent news will be a relief. The Leaving Certificate is already a system that is in vital need of an overhaul. I had sleepless nights, high anxiety levels and genuine panic attacks because of these daunting exams. But it’s not just me who has suffered; I’m sure many Irish adults still have the dreaded Leaving Cert nightmares.

"'The mental wellbeing of students needs to be a priority"

Continuous assessment and more graded practical work really needs to be considered as a future alternative to exams. Also, the mental wellbeing of students needs to be a priority. This moment will hopefully act as a wake-up call for the Department of Education.

Students will sadly miss out on so many experiences that aren’t related to academics this year too,  like a debs graduation ball or Leaving Cert results night. It’s a tradition in our school to go out for pints with the teachers after graduation and to pull a few pranks on the last day of school.

This year's Leaving Cert students will miss out on opportunities to make lasting memories with their class and they may even miss social events in their first semester of college because of social distancing. But it’s far more important that we all stay safe and healthy and, hopefully, everyone will get the points and courses they want.

Two Leaving Cert students and a secondary school teacher give their views:

Grace Clement: “It suits some people, and it doesn’t suit others”

Grace Clement is a sixth year student from Dublin who is anxious about the decision to cancel the Leaving Cert exams this year: “The day we were told exams were cancelled, I was definitely worried and upset because it’s [all] so uncertain.

“It suits some people, and it doesn’t suit others, the same way an exam would suit some people and wouldn’t suit others.

“It is unfair if you think about it over the two years... so many people have cheated on Christmas and mock exams... Many people knew in advance what would be on those.

“I want to do medicine. People who want to do that had to sacrifice their time for the HPAT (medical entry exam) in February.

“So many people aspiring to do medicine sacrificed the grades in the (Leaving Certificate) mocks and told teachers they wanted to do well in the HPAT, as it was the week of the mocks and after the mocks for some people.

Pádraig Cullen: “Predicted results are the fairest way possible"

Pádraig Cullen, a sixth-year student from Carlow, feels differently: “I’m delighted about predicted results. I feel like learning through email was not a replacement for an actual teacher.

“My work was getting worse during quarantine because it was very difficult trying to push coronavirus out of my mind.

"The fact we were getting notifications about people dying on the device we were using for learning... I don’t suffer from mental health issues but I was under a lot of stress trying to learn at home.

“All motivation was gone, especially when they announced that we would have to sit the exam in July.

“Another 3 to 4 months of study would be enough to destroy any student. Predicted results are the fairest way possible. The fact that you can sit the exams if you’re unhappy is something that nobody can complain about.”

“I don’t think there’s a way of making everyone happy but at least we have some clarity now”

A teacher who asked to remain anonymous had this to say about the current situation:

“It’s very unfair if you have a teacher who doesn’t  like you.

"Back when I was at school, we had a music teacher who favoured one child because of the college they decided to go to, and we didn’t do any work... because she spent all her time talking to them.

"It’s a bit of a mess, and scary from a teacher's perspective too.

“But it is less scary than doing the Leaving Cert with only two weeks of prep. There are pros and cons, and I don’t think there’s a way of making everyone happy, but at least we have some clarity now.”

Amy Donohoe

Amy is a writer with a BA in Journalism from DCU. She is currently undertaking an MSc in Climate Change at the same university.

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