Leaving Cert is too important to let ‘one bad day’ affect students’ futures – O’Donovan
Minister urged to follow example he set with Junior Cert by scrapping ‘rote learning’ approach for Leaving Cert
Fine Gael Limerick TD, Patrick O’Donovan, has asked the Minister for Education, Ruari Quinn TD, to look at taking the ‘high stakes’ element out of the Leaving Cert, as he has already done for Junior Cert students.
Speaking in the Dáil today, Deputy O’Donovan said: ‘I would ask if the Minister, given the move away from ‘high stakes’ state exams, where rote learning was examined by the State, has given consideration to a similar move away from rote learning in the Leaving Cert? Having studied hard for years, a student could just have a bad day’.
“Given that educationalists routinely say that rote learning is to be avoided at primary level and that we are moving away from it at Junior Cert level, surely this must be the time for the Leaving Cert to be looked at?
“The students that are currently in 5th class will be the first to go through the new Junior Cert system and I would urge the Minister to look at Leaving Cert reform with them in mind. At the very least, this type of change should be looked at by the Department of Education and the National Council for Curriculum Assessment.”