Mary’s Musings In her latest observations Mary O’Rourke reflects, amongst other subjects, on the enigma that was Arthur Griffith, President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland, Samantha Power, lockdown and the Stardust tragedy
I was so pleased to hear the very clear message from the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, that the Leaving Cert in its written format will be starting on Wednesday June 9.
Hello to all the readers of this fine magazine.
takes some weeks further, well, let’s put up with that in the hope of a brighter future.
It is so good to see it out again, with its fine printing and fine writing therein. There is so much to talk about since I last got the opportunity of talking with you all. The first thing I want to say is that I am writing this coming to the end of February, the first month in spring.
First things first, and the most important thing for everyone in the country, is the education of a million people. Imagine, if everyone was in school and college on the right day, there would be a million people so occupied. I was so pleased to hear the very clear message from the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, that the Leaving Cert in its written format will be starting on Wednesday June 9. The first paper on that day is the written English Paper 1. I am so happy there is also the additional opportunity of calculated grades.
Many of you will say ‘Oh no no, spring is MarchApril’. No, the first day of February is the first day of spring, and I hold fast to that principle. St Brigid’s Day, which is February 1st, is always, in my calendar, the first day of spring. You may say ‘What does it matter now? We are all in lockdown.’ No, not really; the vaccine is coming and it is the light at the end of the tunnel. Imagine, as each person is vaccinated the future health of that person is in good hands, and as the vaccination rolls out, the health of the country will improve. We are in the midst of a very severe pandemic but we have the vaccine to look forward to, and if the lockdown
I know that very protracted negotiations have been going on and that even now, whilst there is general agreement at what has issued from the Department of Education, there is still a worry over the sentiments expressed by the two secondary teacher unions, the ASTI and the TUI. I am hopeful that as time goes on the unions will see that the outcome, as announced, means
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so much to the young students, and after all it is the students who are the main people in this whole drama. In my family, I have two grandchildren, one in Dublin and one in Athlone, both just turned 18, who will be sitting the Leaving Certificate. I have spoken to them in the last number of weeks, and I am so well aware of the unease and worry that is in both of them. I have spoken to them since the announcement came out, and they are much more on an even keel and happier all round. So I am hopeful that they will perk up and continue their study. I was honoured to be Minister for Education for almost five years back in the 1980s/early 90s. Of all of the government departments, I think it is the one faced on a daily basis with so many decisions to be made affecting so many people. So good luck to those plans now. On an irrelevant note, from what I can remember of doing my own Leaving Certificate so many, many years ago, it always appeared to be good weather. The windows in the examination hall would be fully opened and the hum
