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Traffic causes extra exam pressure

Thursday, 12 June 2008

A Southside politician has expressed concern that traffic chaos is causing additional stress for Leaving and Junior Cert students.
Senator Frances Fitzgerald (FG) said she had heard reports from parents of students who are being put under pressure on the way to their exams as a result of traffic chaos on the N4 and Newcastle Road.
“I have spoken with gardai in Lucan and asked them to do all they can to ensure improved traffic flow on this stretch of road, particularly at peak times during these important State exams,” Senator Fitzgerald. “I have also contacted South Dublin County Council and raised my concern regarding these traffic difficulties.”
Meanwhile, 50,000 students began their Leaving Cert last week, with the same number again taking the Junior Cert amid claims that the exams are getting easier.
A number of recent reports, including one conducted by researchers at the Institute of Technology, Tralee, suggested that higher exams results were a result of the “dumbing down” of subjects, but students say this simply isn’t true.
Sam Magra, an 18-year-old student from Portobello currently sitting his Leaving Cert, said improved results were created by teachers gearing learning more towards exams so students were getting better at taking them.
“I don’t think it has been dumbed down at all,” he said. “Teachers are just putting more emphasis on teaching how to sit exams, timing, study skills and what questions to expect to come up.
“Everyone I spoke to found the English exam to be quite fair, but compared to previous years it wasn’t easier. If you do the work you will get the results, I guess.”
Worried
Sam hopes to go on to study History, Politics and International Relations in UCD and says he is quietly confident that he will get the points. Many of his friends are worried, however, about getting places on elusive courses like Medicine.
“There are a lot of adults returning to education and they can take up places on courses but it doesn’t worry me at the end of the day,” he added.
“Right now I need to worry about my exams. I have two a day for the next four days. It should be tough, you can really feel it when you have to do that much work.”
This year a new timetable was introduced with English moved to separate days due to complaints from students over the amount of work required from the combined exams.
New subjects are added to the exam every year with extra languages reflecting Ireland’s new diversity of cultures.
At present curricular language subjects include Irish, English, Ancient Greek, Arabic, French, German, Hebrew Studies, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Japanese.
Exams will continue over the next week with the Leaving Cert Applied and Junior Cert examinations ending on Thursday, June 19, while the Leaving Cert ends on Friday, June 20.

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