Connacht Tribune
External factors pile on the pressure for Leaving Certs
The pressure on Leaving Cert students comes more from external factors, rather than from the exams themselves – according to one secondary school teacher speaking ahead of this year’s State exams.
“Students are under a magnifying glass from people around them; it takes away from their chance to focus on their own capability and flourish,” said Anna Flaherty, a Science and Mathematics teacher at Coláiste Cholmcille in Inverin.
With the Leaving Certificate exams set to start on Wednesday, tensions are already high – not only for the students taking the exam, but for the parents who are at a loss of what they can do to help their child.
Anna believes that the pressure from the outside asking how many points did you get can just ‘inhibits a student from relaxing and putting their best foot forward’.
She claimed that the overshadowing worry from this can be damaging before the exams even begin.
“We as a society must acknowledge how we treat the younger generation and have more sensitivity and respect,” she said.
The National Parents Council Post Primary (NPCPP) offers information on their website but also a helpline phone number, 1800 265 165 and email, helpline@npcpp.ie which gives access to qualified guidance counsellors who offer support and advice to both students and parents during this difficult time.
Many people believe that the Leaving Certificate is unnecessarily stressful and does not give an accurate reflection of what the student is capable of, but Anna believes that it is a ‘well rounded, though undoubtedly tough exam to get through’.
“The array of subjects that the students have under their belt provides them with diverse opportunities and areas that they can delve in into again and again, depending on where their choices and interests take them as they learn more about themselves and as they mature with life,” she said.
This is in stark contrast with the A-Level Examinations in the UK, where the student must pick two to three subjects after the junior cycle and are therefore more restricted if they change their career choice.
Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin Leaving Cert student, Shannen Flaherty, disagrees. “Its importance is overrated and exaggerated,” she said.
And she felt the amount of emphasis based on one set of exams is ‘simply cruel’.
“It’s all based on academics which leaves no room for those with practical minds to expand and allow themselves to acknowledge their own talents, that can’t be shown in a classroom or on a piece of paper.”
On the other hand, Clíona Lee, also a student of the same school, believes we have a ‘decent system’.
She feels that there is a wide variety of subjects and a variety of levels within the subjects to accommodate all people, although she does acknowledge it’s hard not to get ‘bogged down by external pressures from peers and parents’.
She believes there are so many ways to achieve whatever career interests you and that the Leaving Cert is ‘merely a stepping stone in that direction’.
“For me the Leaving Cert is a very intense yet pleasant experience,” she said.
The Leaving Certificate is different for everyone – but, as Anna Flaherty says to all her students, at the end of the day the most positive, encouraging thing to say to your child is to do their best.
“That’s all that matters in life; then you can always be proud regardless of the results.”
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
