Leaving Cert during a pandemic

SIR – The Leaving Certificate in general is a huge stress for students all over Ireland, but during a global pandemic students are stressing even more than usual. The remote learning isn’t helping in any way either, if anything it is making matters much worse.

Students in 6th year are expected to do their pre-Leaving and Leaving exams without having the whole learning course completed, which in my opinion is completely unfair as it is not the student’s fault.

They should be allowed to make a choice between taking the Leaving Cert exams or their teachers making a predictive grade. They should be able to make this decision as they are young adults, and it is the students taking the exams not the government.

All school staff, including teachers, special needs assistants, cleaners and secretaries should be vaccinated against Covid-19 now so that we will be able to go back to school as soon as possible and the Leaving Certificate students that opt to sit their exams will be able to complete them as normal. Students have been going through this for long enough and it is just not fair on them.

Ella-Mai Griffin (14),

Student at Schull

Community College.