Latest news with #DamianCullen
Irish Times
13-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Carl O'Brien: ‘A secret weapon to defusing exam tension at home: the Dad joke'
Yes, the Leaving Cert is a sadistic rite of passage – but sometimes you do have to laugh. As we know, all laws of household behaviour have been suspended. Students communicate in sighs. Discarded mugs are signs of academic focus. Any attempt to vacuum is 'sabotaging their future'. Tension is everywhere. Thankfully, our exam parent Damian Cullen has found an important mood-breaker in the past few weeks: the Dad joke. No situation is too tense for a simple, pun-based joke – the cornier the better. READ MORE We liked his advice to his Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert daughters as they headed off to sit their English papers; – 'Best of luck today, girls. Remember to avoid cliches like the plague.' Two sets of eyes roll. – 'Ughh, goodbye.' Be sure to read Daman's latest dispatch – it is well worth it. Damian Cullen with his wife and daughter at a recent school graduation ceremony After eight days of State exams, a much-needed weekend of respite stretches ahead. We've had quite a response from readers on the physical and mental toll these exams have been had on students. Stress In a report which didn't gain anywhere near as much publicity as it should have, the OECD took a critical look at the Leaving Cert in 2023. . It noted how the CAO points system is unusual in the degree to which it is 'particularly competitive' and 'every single mark can be critical' for entry into college. It concluded that the exams were a period of 'intense stress and pressure' which was 'limiting space for development of broader skills that are 'critical for young people's lifelong learning'. At least Leaving Cert reforms are now on the horizon with a much greater focus on continual assessment and project work – but the CAO system is, in many ways, the tail that wags the dog. As long as it remains brutally competitive, the pressure will be transferred into the assessment process. Pathways On that note, we'll be dedicating our newsletters next week to looking at the latest information and advice available for school leavers on further education, apprenticeships, new tertiary degree options without CAO points and, yes, the CAO itself. Hopefully, it will be a reminder to exam-addled students – and parents – that there are more pathways than ever to pursue your career dreams. Have a great weekend. How are we doing? If you are a parent/ guardian of a Leaving Cert student, we'd love to hear from you. Maybe you have a personal story to share, have a burning question or want to comment on the exams, CAO and further education applications process. Please click the link below to send us your questions or feedback: ingCert But they have been a very important mood-breaker over the past few weeks. No matter how cool and unfazed a teenager normally is, the Leaving Certificate is an imitating beast – a shadow keeping thousands of students in the shade even on the sunniest of June days.
Irish Times
12-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Carl O'Brien: ‘Have you got your kitchen table back yet?'
Our Leaving Cert parent diarist Damian Cullen wrote last week of how the family kitchen table has been commandeered by his daughter for the duration of the exams. T-squares, a laptop, King Lear textbooks, highlighters, plastic folders and dog-eared notes all occupy the space where family dinners were once had. And just in case we thought he might have been exaggerating, Damien helpfully supplied this picture: Our kitchen table at the moment. So, have you got your kitchen table back yet? READ MORE If not, we hope you've made a few incursions and are grabbing back whatever territory you can. Do, please, send any pictures (email details below) and we'll display them here soon; the more chaotic, the better! So, the worst is well and truly over for most students. A well-received business exam followed by an accessible art paper on Thursday afternoon got a thumbs up from most teachers and pupils. But we were stuck by this message from a student who sat Wednesday's history exam, which was the subject of much criticism . 'I wanted to email you to discuss the devastating experience that was the Leaving Cert history paper yesterday,' the student writes. 'I am a H1 student who studied well over 32 essay titles across 12 large topics for this year's Leaving Cert. I have given countless hours to the subject and have consistently averaged a H1 at 95 per cent throughout all my class tests and scored 96 per cent on my history mock ... 'To say that everyone was devastated opening the paper would be an understatement. I have never seen the swarms of students leaving the hall who would be scoring the top grades alongside me, left utterly demoralised from the ridiculous essay titles offered across the sections. We have the most thorough and excellent history teacher and yet we were left completely shaken by the choice on the paper ... 'Many people left well over an hour early, and those who did leave were left extremely upset in the corridors. For many of us this was our first noncore subject exam, leaving us rather shaken at what the next few exams will bring.' Our heart goes out to her – it is a very distressing experience. All we can say is that 'hard' exams do tend to get marked easier by examiners. This is due to the bell-curve that is used to ensure there are a similar proportion of H1s, H2s, and H3s, etc. Nonetheless, it is clear the paper was exceptionally difficult in what is a punishing subject to prepare for. There is delicate balance to be struck by exam-setters in pushing students to display their full range of skills and knowledge – and trying to catch students out. This is one where, on occasion, it felt like the latter for many – let's hope the rest of the exams offer a smoother path ahead for all. - How are we doing? If you are a parent/ guardian of a Leaving Cert student, we'd love to hear from you. Maybe you have a personal story to share, have a burning question or want to comment on the exams, CAO and further education applications process. Please click the link below to send us your questions or feedback: ingCert
Irish Times
04-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle: Live reaction to day one of the exams
25 minutes ago Up today: Leaving Cert: English paper one (9.30am-12.20pm) and home economic (2-4.30pm); Junior Cycle : English (9.30-11.30am) and religious education (1.30pm-3.30pm) Leaving Cert parent Damian Cullen: 'Is there any chance we can have the kitchen table back?' Exam advice for students (and parents) : 'Allow them time and space to tell their story and move on to the next challenge ' Analysis : Why are more students than ever availing of additional supports in the exams? 7 minutes ago How not to give Leaving Cert advice Thousands of Leaving Cert students are streaming out of exam halls after completing English paper one. We'll have reaction shortly. If as a parent you're wondering how to sympathise / encourage / congratulate your child, here's an example of what not to do ... Your Mother when You have Exams... Posted by 24 minutes ago Leaving cert students this morning preparing to start English paper one at Belmayne Educate Together Secondary School, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Mind-boggling logistics It's only natural to empathise with students on the first day of the State exams – but spare a thought for those involved in the mammoth logistics of the Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert this year. A record number of students – more than 140,000 – started the Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert exams on Wednesday. It involves the secure distribution of about four million exam papers to thousands of exam halls and other settings across the State. In total, there are some 5,900 exam halls and a further 9,500 'special examination centres', typically smaller classrooms. Meanwhile, about 10,000 teachers will work as examiners, over the coming weeks, marking millions of pages of exams.
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Classroom to college: your essential Leaving Cert guide
Nerves are jangling, pressure is building and teeth are on edge – and that's just the parents. The Leaving Certificate doesn't just test students; it can feel like the whole household is sitting the exams as kitchen counters are strewn with highlighters and dog-eared study notes. So, how can you help your child prepare for the exams? What's the best way to keep spirits from flagging? And how can you help ensure they pick the right study options after school? READ MORE Our new Classroom to College newsletter will include: 'Get seated 30 minutes beforehand': Leaving Cert survival guide from guidance counsellor Brian Mooney; Exam diarists from Athlone Community College who will share the highs and lows of the Leaving Cert exams; Up-to-the-minute reaction to all the big exams with access to the exam papers; Parents' diary : Damian Cullen on trying to stay calm as the tempest approaches; Analysis of how the move to lower grades towards pre-pandemic norms will affect the class of 2025 in the CAO points race; The inside track on alternative pathways available in further education and third level to help students fulfil their dream careers; My Leaving : entertainers, broadcasters and politicians recall their most vivid exam memories When August comes, we'll provide expert advice on guidance on CAO offers, a live help desk staffed by our team of guidance counsellors to deal with readers' queries, and detailed guidance on the smart options in further education and training.
