TERAPROOF:User:sambolandDate:14/08/2013Time:22:07:30Edition:15/08/2013ExaminerLiveXX-1508Page:10
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Irish Examiner Thursday 15.08.2013
XX1 - V1
NEWS 11
Irish Examiner Thursday 15.08.2013
LEAVING CERT RESULTS
3,000 fail maths at ordinary level
LEAVING CERT RESULTS
Nine A1s but Mark may have to emigrate
Top marks
■ Helpline busy over concerns about subsequent college places Guidance counsellors were busy yesterday dealing with queries about appealing grades and calculating college points as parents and students summed up their results. With more than 3,000 students failing at ordinarylevel maths, the prospects of a college course offer from the CAO on Monday could be shortened. Jackie O’Callaghan, a spokeswoman for the National Parents’ Council-Post Primary, said students should check if the college they applied to is offering second-chance maths exams. Many third-level institutions run such exams to assess if an applicant who did not meet the minimum requirement in the subject, but who got the necessary CAO points total, might still be able for the maths element of the course on which they would otherwise be offered a place. “There’s been a lot of calls to our helpline about failure in maths, but we’ve been able to tell them about these special exams. A lot of people are also looking for information about appeals and how to check their scripts before appealing a grade,” she said. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) will allow students view their answer papers on Friday and Saturday week before deciding to appeal or not, but schools have to be notified by Tuesday which exam scripts they want to look over, with which a teacher can assist on the day. Among the 55,500 results sheets issued yesterday, a range of exam outcomes were covered for students of different capabilities. For one young man who called the NPC-PP helpline, operated by members of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, the help he got to calculate that his sister has almost 200 CAO points was enough to bring shrieks of
by Sarah Stack
NIALL MURRAY EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT joy as she anticipated being offered entry to a postLeaving Certificate course. “It’s really as big a day for those at the lower end of the spectrum as those with eight or nine As. And for anybody who is disappointed, we just want to get across that the Leaving Certificate is only a springboard with so many options out there for study and training, and nobody will ask how many points you got in five years’ time,” Ms O’Callaghan said. Almost 44,000 of those who got results have applied to the CAO to go on to third-level in the autumn. Around 7,000 of an expected 46,000 available places have been filled over the past month, as colleges accommodated overseas students and others not directly competing with Leaving Certificate students. The NPC-PP helpline (1800 265165) remains open from 8am to 7pm again today, and until 1pm tomorrow, and will operate Monday to Wednesday next week with advice and support around the CAO Round 1 offers. All offers should arrive in the post on Monday and can be checked online from 6am on the day, with anyone not receiving an offer also due to be notified by the CAO by letter. ● The Choices for College supplement in next Monday’s Irish Examiner will feature the cut-off points for entry to all 1,370 CAO courses in Round 1. It also features advice on grant applications, student accommodation, college costs, and finance, alternatives to third-level education, as well as a range of other important topics.
Above: Mark Berney is congratulated by his mother, Nicky Deacon, at Gorey Community College, Co Wexford, where he earned 9 Higher Level A1s. Below: Results-day smiles from Pacha Kitata and Melanie Smith, Ringsend College, Dublin. Pictures: Julien Behal/Laura Hutton
Above: Aisling Crowley, Ballinlough, Cork, and Hannah Sands, Douglas, Cork, celebrate their results at Hewitt College, Cork City. Below: Darragh Rice, St Brendan’s College, Killarney, who got 625 points and hopes to study medicine. Pictures: Denis Scannell/Valerie O’Sullivan
Anna O’Neill, Krzysztoe Przestrzelsky, Dawn Gleeson, and Kate Kenneally pose for the camera after receiving their results at Bruce College, Cork City.
Picture: Denis Scannell
Let the celebrations begin
Getting eight A1 grades at higher level yesterday were, from top: Niamh Buttimer, Mount Mercy, Cork; Denis O’Sullivan, Coláiste Spioraid Naoimh, Cork; Darragh Connell, St Francis Capuchin College, Cork; Eibhín Lonergan, Loreto, Fermoy, Co Cork; Maura Morrison, Dominican College, Galway; and Vicky Moynihan, Presentation Secondary School, Killarney.
Mike Harrington, 46, of Mungret, Co Limerick, celebrates his Leaving Cert results at the Adult Education Centre, Limerick, having left school at 13. Picture Liam Burke
Pictures: Dan Linehan, Andrew Downes, Valerie O’Sullivan
Top of the class A1s (Higher Level) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
2013
2012
1 9 50 92 194 358 564 1,171 3,385
3 9 42 112 233 369 611 1,227 3,538
Quinn confirms bonus maths points by Evelyn Ring
CORK EAST
A bonus points system to encourage more students to take higher-level maths in the Leaving Certificate is likely to be reviewed in three years time, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has confirmed. More than one-in-four maths candidates sat the
higher level paper, up from one-in-six two years ago and any student who got a D or higher in their result got an extra 25 points. Mr Quinn said 94% of students who took the higher-level maths paper got the 25 bonus points, so the
initiative to encourage more students take the exam had worked very well. He said his predecessor, Mary Coughlan, persuaded the Central Applications Office to award the 25 bonus points in response to calls from industry and many institutions. Mr Quinn said the bonus points for taking higher level
maths was a “temporary measure”. It was the second full year that the bonus had been awarded and the results were very positive. However, Mr Quinn believed it would take around five years before it would be possible to see a pattern emerging from the points’ initiative. The minister was also re-
minded of a significant error in a question on the higher level maths paper in June. The State Examinations Commission gave a lengthy account of the efforts it made to address the error which, it said, affected 4% of candidates. The minister, who visited Ringsend College in Dublin yesterday to meet Leaving
Third-level education beckons after ‘the worst year and best year all in one’ by Audrey Ellard Walsh Tensions were high yesterday as upwards of 55,000 students nationwide awaited their Leaving Certificate results. And it was no different for the 170 girls who queued from 8.30am in Christ the King Secondary School in Cork. For Rachel Finn, who topped the bill with 615 points, nutritional science in UCC awaits. The Leaving Cert process was stressful, “but it wasn’t as bad as other people said it was going to be in the end”. Three other students reached 600 points and beyond; Emma Cahalane with 610 and Alison Peate and Tara O’Driscoll
VOX POP getting 600 each. Emma has applied for primary teaching in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. She says that teaching is “pretty much all I’ve ever thought of doing”. Alison is hoping to study law with French in UCC. “It was about 525 last year, so hopefully I’ll have loads for that unless it rockets up this year. “Sixth year was difficult, it’s a tough year. I thought the exams were difficult compared to other years having done the past papers, so I didn’t expect these results at all. I’m over the moon.” Reya Meer may have
more reason than most to be proud of her results. Reya, whose family moved from the Philippines several years ago, managed to achieve a C on the ordinary-level Irish paper. “I thought I’d fail Irish because I’m not originally from Ireland, so Irish is my third language. I’m lucky though I didn’t fail it which is unbelievable.” She wants to remain in Ireland and study psychology in Dublin Business School, a prospect that is looking very likely as she believes she has achieved enough points. Head girl Clodagh Duggan was absolutely shocked by her 505 points. “I didn’t think I’d get
Reya Meer was delighted with her result in Irish. anywhere near that, I was shaking. I want to do Commerce in UCC, so hopefully I got that.” She said sixth year was stressful but enjoyable too. “I was just talking to a girl going into sixth year last night and I was saying
From left: Louise Farrell checks her Leaving Cert results with Cathy Mooney and Leanne McCarton at Tallaght Community College, Dublin, yesterday; Louise is overcome with emotion; and, having regained her composure, celebrates with her friends, including Jamie Donnelly, left.
it was the worst year and the best year all in one because we were so close by the end of it, the whole year. It was stressful but friends made up for that so I enjoyed it. Principal Mary Keane is very proud of her girls: “We really reflect society, we have a cross-section of students, from people with learning difficulties to high-fliers, and all of them achieved what they wanted to achieve.” Guidance counsellor Christy O’Shaughnessy. “We’re very pleased. Going out you can see the happiness on their faces so it’s a good day for everybody and it’s a great day for the school too. Happy days.” While the results have
Pictures: Gareth Chaney/Collins
been released and the wait begins for Monday’s CAO offers, this September will
see a new batch of students begin preparing for the Leaving Cert
exams. As Ms Keane says “It’s another cycle over and another cycle begins.”
Choices for
to be reviewed in three years Certificate students, said the commission took great care that no student would be disadvantaged because of the mistake. He said the commission had apologised for the mistake and intended taking a number of steps to ensure a similar error would not be repeated in the future. Ringsend College princi-
pal Donnchadh Clancy said they had a small group of sixth-years — 24 — plus around 50 who were repeating the Leaving Certificate examination. “Overall, the results were good and the students were happy,” he said. Mr Clancy said there were so many learning opportunities beyond the Leaving
Certificate now. “Although there is pressure for certain courses, there is a lot less pressure because of the possibilities that are out there. It is a day of optimism and hope,” he said. Among the Leaving Certificate students collecting their results were Helena Lawless, 17, from
Ringsend, Dublin. She was awarded seven honours and one pass and is hoping to study travel and tourism at Liberties College in Dublin and become an air hostess. “It’s what I always wanted to do,” said Helen, who said she could not sleep the previous night because she was so nervous.
removed from YouTube, a number of channels are hosting copies of the video, one of which has attracted more than 343,000 views. It seems that curiosity about what Robert actually got in his Irish is eating away at people, with a Facebook page entitled “What does Robert get in his Irish leaving cert?”, leaping from 2,000 to 50,000 likes over the course of yesterday afternoon. When contacted by the Irish Examiner, Robert declined to comment on his final grade, leaving the big question unanswered. It seems fear of the wrath of mamaí may be causing Robert to remain ciúin about his results. ● youtu.be/9g-dGVZkkk8
Monday,August 19, 2013
More than two decades after he left formal education, Leaving Certificate student Brian Aherne is now looking forward to studying mechanical engineering. The unemployed construction worker received three As and two Cs in the state exams and was among 70 students who received results at Limerick Adult Education College. The 37-year-old father-of-three from Moyross left school in
MATURE STUDENT 1992 after completing his Junior Certificate, in which he received five honours and four passes. “We were a big family and the finances just weren’t there, so I never went back to education and started working.” Like many who worked in the construction industry, the qualified steel sheet fabricator lost his job when the recession hit. “I have been on the live register since the end of 2008 and this is five years later. If I had took
Advice on CAO applications and grants CAO course offers and analysis A guide to Ireland’s top colleges Alternatives to college Advice on accommodation and costs Insights on hot career options
Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins
The YouTube video featuring Kilkenny Leaving Cert student Robert Slater and his mother received more than 50,000 hits yesterday.
Cork did exceptionally well in this year’s Leaving Certificate exams, with students from four schools achieving eight A1s. Four of the nine pupils with eight higher level A1s went to schools in Cork. Niamh Buttimer studied at Mount Mercy, Model Farm Rd, Denis O’Sullivan took his exams at Coláiste an Spioraid Naomh in Bishopstown, while Darragh Connell was a student of St Francis Capuchin College in Rochestown, and Eibhlín Lonergan studied at Loreto Convent, Fermoy. Vicky Moynihan studied at Presentation Secondary School, Miltown, Co Kerry. The four others studied at St Killian’s German College,
Looking forward to college — 21 years after leaving school by Kathryn Hayes
INSIDE Pages 2-4: Pages 5-7: Pages 8, 9: Pages 10, 11: Pages 12, 13: Pages 14-16:
Ruairi Quinn with Leaving Cert students Nicole Collopy and Helena Lawless at Ringsend College, Dublin.
by Dan Buckley
ONLINE NOTORIETY
Just what did Robert get in his Leaving Cert Irish? As students around the country finally received their Leaving Cert results yesterday, it seems one young man’s grades were to cause more speculation than all the others combined. Kilkenny student Robert Slater captured public attention in April when he uploaded a video of his mother berating his lack of study for his Irish oral exam on YouTube. The secretly recorded footage shows Robert’s mother attempting to make him study, given that his Irish oral exam was only a week away. She tries to cajole him into speaking as Gaeilge by shouting at him ‘Cad as tú?’ while he lazes about in his room. While the original upload has been
College
A1 results for four Cork schools
Web sensation Rob is keeping mum over results by Audrey Ellard Walsh
Alison Peate, Rachel Finn, and Emma Cahalane all secured 600 points and over, with Rachel on course for nutritional science after getting 615. Picture: Darragh Kane
Ireland’s smartest student fears he will have to leave the country to get a job when he leaves university. Mark Berney scored nine A1s in his Leaving Certificate, despite starting to teach himself one of the subjects only six months before the state exam. The 18-year-old said he was so nervous opening his result at Gorey Community School in Co Wexford that he ripped the envelope. “I was just so surprised,” said Mark, the only person to get top marks in nine subjects. “When I saw the list of As, I was really shocked.” The teenager started teaching himself biology from text books in February to fill a gap when his teacher finished the chemistry curriculum ahead of time. He plans to take science at Trinity College and eventually specialise in chemical research, but he admits that is a “long way off ”. “I don’t know what I’ll do,” said the teenager, from the townland of Kilmurray, who is searching for a part-time job. “I’m worried because I want to go into research and I might have to go abroad to find a decent research job.” Almost 56,000 teenagers have received Leaving Certificate results, with a record one in four sitting honours maths for the first time. Mark was celebrating his grades alongside close
school friends Aaron Collier, who got the maximum 600 points, and Dermot Wild, who achieved 590. Nine other students in the country managed eight A1s, another 50 got top marks in seven subjects, and 92 pupils got 600 points. Mark said he was most surprised at his result in English, which he admits he has never enjoyed, but was confident of making the grade in Italian, which he also studied outside school from the age of 11. His top tip for next year’s class is to pick subjects of interest so studying is not hard work. A keen tennis player, he also taught himself piano during his transition year — which he plays in the nearby Seafield Hotel at weekends—– and plans to take up Spanish next. “I don’t know what it is, I get really fascinated by one thing at a time,” Mark added. “I always just randomly get obsessed with one thing for a month and play and practise it until I get bored.” Proud parents Joe Berney and Nicky Deacon, who run a saddlery business in Enniscorthy, are waiting for Mark’s 15-year-old brother, Conor, to get his Junior Certificate results next month. “Mark is not competitive with others, just himself, and has never been flamboyant about what he does,” she said. “They are just the type of lads that get on with it.
the initiative I took last year then, I would be finished and have my masters now... I might be 40 by the time I finish my studies, but I will still have 20 years of work experience,” he said. Brian, who hopes to study at the University of Limerick, would strongly urge anybody thinking about returning to education to “just do it”. Father-of-two Mike Harrington, from Mungret in Co Limerick, is hoping to do a music and technology course at Limerick Institute of Technology.
The 46-year-old left school when he was just 14 and only returned to education a few years ago after he found it difficult to help his own children with their school work. “My daughter and son are real proud of me. On the times when I didn’t feel like getting up for school they would say ‘you have to go to school just like us’,” he said. Grandfather Gerard Jackson was also among those celebrating results at Limerick Adult Education College yesterday. The 56-year-old from Carey’s Rd, Limerick, is
hoping to work as a care assistant. According to Pat McInerney, guidance counsellor at Limerick Education College, students ranging from 21 to 70 have gone back to study at the college. “We have had some very happy stories, some very big successes. Very often we can’t tell our best stories however, because you are talking about people coming back from addictions and they don’t want that to be known but they have turned their lives around,” he said.
CLEVER COUNTY Dublin; Dominican College, Galway; St Vincent’s Secondary School, Dundalk; and Kilrush Community School, Co Clare. Community schools also showed they are more than a match for private, feepaying establishments with Gorey taking top marks, followed by Kilrush Community School in Co Clare on eight A1s and Blackwater Community School in Lismore on seven. Diarmuid Ó Mathúna, principal of St Francis Capuchin College in Rochestown, Cork, was full of praise for Darragh Connell who was awarded eight A1s. “I am not surprised because, not only
is he very gifted, but he also worked hard,” he said. He was also very pleased with the school’s overall results. “Our numbers have grown and grades and results have grown in proportion,” he said. Darragh, from Frankfield, Douglas, did not expect to do so well. “I did study hard but I made a few blunders in French so I was surprised at the result.” Marie Ring, principal of Loreto secondary school in Fermoy, was delighted for Eibhlín Lonergan who was celebrating her eight A1s. “We are very proud of her. She is a very unassuming girl and also a talented musician.” Ms Ring had another reason to celebrate when she and her husband, Denis,
learned that their son, John, a student at Blackwater Community School in Lismore, Co Waterford, got seven A1s. “We are having a great day,” said Denis. “As a state community school, the results are particularly gratifying as they are what you would normally associate with Pres and Christians and the voluntary secondary school sector.” In the past decade, Blackwater has amassed a haul of sporting trophies, winning two all-Irelands in hurling, two in camogie, three in volleyball, three in drama and one in ladies soccer, as well as notable achievements in the Young Scientists competition, the Enterprise awards, and the Unesco competition.
Students bring court challenge over decision to cancel audiology course by Aodhán Ó Faolain and Ray Managh Two third-level students have brought a High Court challenge against the decision to cancel the country’s first undergraduate audiology course. The action has been brought by students, Megan Munnelly, Knockbrack, Corballa, Co Sligo; and Diarmuid O’Connor, Ballyvodock, East Midleton, Co Cork, who had completed their first year of their Bachelor of Science Degrees
LEGAL ACTION at Athlone Institute of Technology. However, earlier this year the students and their 20 classmates were informed by AIT their course was being cancelled. In judicial review proceedings against AIT, the Higher Education Authority and the Health Service Executive, the students want the High Court to make various orders, including one quashing the decision to cancel the course.
They are also seeking orders that the course be continued, and they are provided with work placements as part of their course. They are also seeking various declarations, including that the HEA and the HSE have unlawfully interfered with the provision by AIT of the course for those students who commenced their studies in 2012. The case was briefly mentioned before the president of the High Court yesterday, who adjourned the matter to Tuesday of next week.