2 days ago
Leaving Cert student diary: ‘I'm proof there's an alternative to incredibly stressful exams'
I'm only young, so it's fair to say I don't follow the ins and outs of education policy. But I do hear, from my friends and on the news, about how incredibly stressful the Leaving Cert is and how it needs to be reformed.
I and the other 4,512 students sitting the Leaving Cert Applied [LCA] are living proof that there is a different way.
The LCA means students like me, who prefer practical and vocational approaches, are not left behind. I know Ireland is trailing other European countries in terms of offering this vocational option, although the numbers sitting the LCA are growing every year.
The LCA offers entry routes to college too. I am hoping to get into a post-Leaving Cert course: nursing studies at Moate ETB [education and training board]. It gives us a foundation in nursing, includes practical experience and a work placement, and is also linked to a general nursing course at TUS [Technological University of the Shannon].
READ MORE
Over the past few years, I decided to learn sign language. I'm not doing it as an examined subject, but I felt that it would be a really useful skill for a nurse to have, as it means I can communicate with more people. I'm not fluent, but I can hold a basic conversation and I hope to improve.
As for the exams? It's a case of so far, so good. I appreciated the layout of the papers and they haven't been as difficult as I expected.
English and communications was probably my best so far, as a lot of the topics I studied appeared.
Hotel catering and tourism, however, was probably the most challenging, although still achievable. In this subject, we learn about restaurants, tourist sites and we work on menus for parties and for people with food allergies and intolerances, such as coeliac disease.
LCA students have already done a lot of projects and continuous assessment throughout the year, so that relieves the pressure of a single, high-stakes exam.
[
Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle: Record 140,000 to sit State exams
Opens in new window
]
I can't believe the end is in sight, as I finish up on Tuesday with an exam on construction and graphics.
I'll miss my classmates in school. There's only been eight of us in the entire LCA programme, so we became tight-knit.
I currently commute for over an hour every day to and from school. This is because we moved a few years ago but I wanted to stay in the same school. I wish there was better public transport, particularly for rural areas, as there's currently only two buses a day. It's safe to say that I won't miss this commute.
– Amy Cox is a Leaving Cert Applied student at Athlone Community College
