Carl O'Brien: ‘A secret weapon to defusing exam tension at home: the Dad joke'

Irish Times

13-06-2025

Yes, the Leaving Cert is a sadistic rite of passage – but sometimes you do have to laugh.
As we know, all laws of household behaviour have been suspended. Students communicate in sighs. Discarded mugs are signs of academic focus. Any attempt to vacuum is 'sabotaging their future'. Tension is everywhere.
Thankfully, our
exam parent Damian Cullen
has found an important mood-breaker in the past few weeks: the Dad joke.
No situation is too tense for a simple, pun-based joke – the cornier the better.
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We liked his advice to his Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert daughters as they headed off to sit their English papers;
– 'Best of luck today, girls. Remember to avoid cliches like the plague.'
Two sets of eyes roll.
– 'Ughh, goodbye.'
Be sure to read Daman's
latest dispatch
– it is well worth it.
Damian Cullen with his wife and daughter at a recent school graduation ceremony
After eight days of State exams, a much-needed weekend of respite stretches ahead.
We've had quite a response from readers on the physical and mental toll these exams have been had on students.
Stress
In a report which didn't gain anywhere near as much publicity as it should have, the OECD took a
critical look at the Leaving Cert in 2023.
.
It noted how the CAO points system is unusual in the degree to which it is 'particularly competitive' and 'every single mark can be critical' for entry into college.
It concluded that the exams were a period of 'intense stress and pressure' which was 'limiting space for development of broader skills that are 'critical for young people's lifelong learning'.
At least Leaving Cert reforms are now on the horizon with a much greater focus on continual assessment and project work – but the CAO system is, in many ways, the tail that wags the dog.
As long as it remains brutally competitive, the pressure will be transferred into the assessment process.
Pathways
On that note, we'll be dedicating our newsletters next week to looking at the latest information and advice available for school leavers on further education, apprenticeships, new tertiary degree options without CAO points and, yes, the CAO itself.
Hopefully, it will be a reminder to exam-addled students – and parents – that there are more pathways than ever to pursue your career dreams.
Have a great weekend.
How are we doing?
If you are a parent/ guardian of a Leaving Cert student, we'd love to hear from you.
Maybe you have a personal story to share, have a burning question or want to comment on the exams, CAO and further education applications process.
Please click the link below to send us your questions or feedback:
https://www.research.net/r/Leav
ingCert
But they have been a very important mood-breaker over the past few weeks. No matter how cool and unfazed a teenager normally is, the Leaving Certificate is an imitating beast – a shadow keeping thousands of students in the shade even on the sunniest of June days.