Proud Cork students celebrate graduation from esteemed education programme
The graduates completed their QQI level 4, which is equivalent to the Leaving Certificate, as part of the Cork College of Further Education and Training's (CCFET) collaboration with Youthreach.
Family, friends and Youthreach staff were there to celebrate the students' qualification, which will allow them to progress into further education or directly into the work force.
During the academic year CCFET and Youthreach centres provided students with opportunities to sample potential courses and access to open days and year-long support.
The main objective of the collaboration is to familiarise Youthreach students with CCFET resources and campuses to make transitioning to further education and training campuses easier.
Mr Denis Leamy, chief executive of Cork Education and Training Board, said the student's graduation was not just about academic achievement.
"It is a powerful reflection of the resilience, talent, and determination of our Youthreach graduates,' Mr Leamy stated.
'Your success demonstrates the transformative impact of Further Education and Training in opening up real-world opportunities, whether in apprenticeships, college, or the workforce.
'We are immensely proud of these young people and of the dedicated staff and partners who support them on their journey to lifelong learning and meaningful careers.'
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Irish Independent
17 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Proud Cork students celebrate graduation from esteemed education programme
The graduates completed their QQI level 4, which is equivalent to the Leaving Certificate, as part of the Cork College of Further Education and Training's (CCFET) collaboration with Youthreach. Family, friends and Youthreach staff were there to celebrate the students' qualification, which will allow them to progress into further education or directly into the work force. During the academic year CCFET and Youthreach centres provided students with opportunities to sample potential courses and access to open days and year-long support. The main objective of the collaboration is to familiarise Youthreach students with CCFET resources and campuses to make transitioning to further education and training campuses easier. Mr Denis Leamy, chief executive of Cork Education and Training Board, said the student's graduation was not just about academic achievement. "It is a powerful reflection of the resilience, talent, and determination of our Youthreach graduates,' Mr Leamy stated. 'Your success demonstrates the transformative impact of Further Education and Training in opening up real-world opportunities, whether in apprenticeships, college, or the workforce. 'We are immensely proud of these young people and of the dedicated staff and partners who support them on their journey to lifelong learning and meaningful careers.'
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Irish Examiner
'It was an emotional moment': Students complete Ireland's first Leaving Cert Ukrainian exam
An Olympic hopeful was among the inaugural students to sit the first ever Leaving Cert Ukrainian exam, in a day of mixed emotions for the students who arrived in Ireland fleeing war. Schools across the country have welcomed thousands of students through their doors since 2022, many of whom arrived to Ireland without fluent English. More than 570 students nationwide were entered with the State Examinations Commission (SEC) to sit the first exam in the subject, which is now recognised as a non-curricular language. Non-curricular languages do not appear as part of the normal school curriculum but are offered to students who meet certain criteria set by the SEC. Mariia Bielik, Mariia Kuznetsova, Varvara Kotenova, and Viktoriia Babachenko after completing the Leaving Certificate Ukrainian paper in Pobalscoil na Tríonóide, Youghal, Co Cork. Picture: Howard Crowdy In Youghal, East Cork, Pobalscoil na Tríonóide enrolled close to 90 students during the initial stages of Ireland's response to the war in Ukraine. On Monday, the school had 11 students sit the first ever Ukrainian exam. Among them was Mariia Bielik, who said: The school management and the teachers came and took care of us from day one. We had a lot of support here. "When we came here, no one knew English and of course, we were all worried about what we were going to do. When I first came to Pobalscoil, they were so quick in finding us supports. 'For me, it was an emotional moment to see our language included officially. We sincerely thank everyone for making it happen.' The exam itself was far from easy, she added. 'It was the first time, so we didn't know what to expect. I actually didn't have enough time, and I haven't studied the Ukrainian language formally for two years. 'All this time I've tried to concentrate in English mostly, so sitting Ukrainian today felt like a piece of home to all of us here, in a new country that welcomed us with kindness and understanding.' She hopes to study law here once she finishes her post-primary school studies. 'If I get good grades," she said. Early starts for Olympic hopeful Sasha Her classmate Oleksandr 'Sasha' Lychuk has been very happy to continue his promising swimming career, cut short in Ukraine, here in Cork. An accomplished swimmer with Dolphin Swimming Club, he hopes to one day represent Ireland at the Olympics. 'It's my dream, it's my goal. Hopefully in a few years I can do it,' he said. He trained every morning before school, rising before dawn to make his training sessions. 'It was really hard at the start but now it's kind of my life,' he said. 'At 4.30am every morning, I need to go from Youghal to Cork so I wake up at 4am. 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Mariia Bielik, Mariia Kuznetsova, Varvara Kotenova, and Viktoriia Babachenko who completed the higher level Leaving Certificate Ukrainian paper in Pobalscoil na Tríonóide, Youghal. Picture: Howard Crowdy "My school did a lot for us, they welcomed us, gave us special lectures, English lessons, always offered to help us. 'This year, I decided to try higher level English and I finally did the Leaving Cert,' she said, adding that it was 'really hard'. 'I'm nervous about the result.' She now hopes to study interior architecture after her exams. Many Ukrainian students had no time to adjust to a new language and a new system when they arrived first, she said. 'Now, we are doing Leaving Cert. I have no possibility to return to my native city in Ukraine because it is occupied by Russians. There is no way back for me, so I am really thankful.' Varvara aims to study fine art at MTU Varvara Kotenova was also very grateful to have Ukrainian as an exam option, although the exam was 'not easy'. 'It was great to be a part of it.' She hopes now to study fine art. 'I'm an artist. I have been painting since I was 11 years old and I hope to continue to do so. Mariia Kuznetsova and Varvara Kotenova from Pobalscoil na Tríonóide, Youghal who completed the Ukrainian Higher Course Leaving Certificate Paper on Monday morning. Picture: Howard Crowdy 'I really want to apply to MTU for the fine art course. "Thanks to my school, my skills have improved and with the support from the kind people I have met here, I've been able to progress further.' All non-curricular languages were examined on Monday as students may undertake an exam in just one language from the 16 included subjects. This list includes Bulgarian, Czech, Latvian, and Romanian. Mandarin Chinese, Lithuanian, Polish, and Portuguese were added as curricular languages in 2020, and examined for the first time in 2022.
Irish Examiner
06-06-2025
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This year's Leaving Certificate geography exam contained no major surprises, offering students a "lovely" and well-balanced paper with reliable and current questions. However, the unfamiliar 'donut' graph format may have caused some stress for students, teachers who reviewed the paper said. On the third day of the 2025 State exams, Leaving Cert students sat geography on Friday morning, while Junior Cycle students took their history paper. The Junior Cycle history exam once again faced criticism from teachers, who say the continued absence of mark allocations and limited time remain significant challenges for students. The 2025 Ordinary Level geography paper was described as fair by Laura O'Sullivan, a teacher at Bantry Community School and secretary of the Cork Geography Teachers' Association. 'The short questions were really well scaffolded with images, which is really good for candidates, and the longer questions were very accessible," Ms O'Sullivan said. At Higher Level, she added, the short answer section was more balanced than in previous years. 'In previous years, they were looked for loads of answers for small marks whereas I think this year they were more realistic about what can be achieved in a short amount of time which is fantastic.' One graph question may have presented difficulty for some Higher Level students, she noted. 'It was just a different kind of graph than they would have come across before.' 'Your more able candidates would have been fine but the weaker candidates might struggle with it.' 'They just won't be used to having seen it, but if they treat it like they treat other graphs, and don't panic, then they'll be fine.' Students also needed to read a question on rock types and landscapes carefully, she said, as it required more than one example. 'If they only did one rock type, and one landscape, then they'll probably only get half the marks.' Overall, she described the paper as very fair and said she was 'very happy' with its structure and content. Margaret Fitzpatrick, a teacher at Midleton CBS, also praised the 2025 geography paper. 'The biggest challenge was actually completing it because they would have so much knowledge." "It was a lovely, lovely paper with each section nicer than the other.' 'If students had worked off their exam papers, they should have been well able for it. The only challenge would be getting it done in the time allowed.' Junior Cycle Meanwhile, Junior Cycle history continues to pose a major challenge, according to Studyclix subject expert Jamie Dockery, a teacher at Tyndall College, Carlow. Students are expected to answer eight questions across a wide range of topics within a strict two-hour limit. 'Not accounting for the time needed to pre-read the paper and review answers, practices teachers actively encourage, students are left with roughly fifteen minutes per question." "That's a demanding pace, even for the most capable candidates." 'This year, the difficulty was compounded yet again by the continued absence of mark allocations on the exam paper. Each of the eight questions carried different marks, yet students were given no indication of this during the exam." Mr Dockery added that under time pressure, students should have the option to prioritise higher-value questions. "A basic exam strategy they are taught in every other subject. Denying them this opportunity in History is both illogical and unfair," he added. 'It risks disadvantaging students in their results and may even deter some from continuing with History into Senior Cycle." Read More Junior Cycle English short story question sparks criticism from teachers
