"Incident" at Howth Junction station

tolosenc · 12-09-2007 1:36pm #1

Bare in mind it is early days, and heard by word of mouth, but apparently the incident this morning was a Junior Cert-er who failed maths jumping in front of a train.

If it is true it raises serious questions about exam pressures in today's day and age.

RIP

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhcwqleysnkf/rss2/

watna · 12-09-2007 1:42pm

Where did you hear it was a junior cert-er? That article just mentions a death on the tracks. it doesn't give any details.

Drummerboy2 · 12-09-2007 1:43pm

Terrible news. Hope it wasn't the poster who was on here, admitting they had almost done the same thing a few times recently.

tolosenc · 12-09-2007 1:44pm

I know people in the school...

arybvtcw0eolkf · 12-09-2007 1:48pm

I got a phone call just minutes after it happened.

Its a young school girl. It made me sick because here I was in work waiting for my son to ring with his results and then heard this.

When my son & wife rang I just asked my wife to keep this young girls family in her thoughts.

Sweet jesus doesn't bear thinking about.

May the little sweetheart rest in peace and god grant strenght to her family and friends.

watna · 12-09-2007 1:49pm

obl wrote:

I know people in the school...

God, that's terrible if it's true. I hope other people out there who feel that way have someone to talk to about it, someone to make them see things in perspective.

patrickc · 12-09-2007 1:51pm

RIP .. that's just ****

Boston · 12-09-2007 1:51pm

obl wrote:

If it is true it raises serious questions about exam pressures in today's day and age.

RIP

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhcwqleysnkf/rss2/

It raises questions about the level of mental care being provided to young people. I.E. none.

MrJoeSoap · 12-09-2007 1:53pm

Thats horrible, RIP to her and best wishes to her family. Can't believe something that seems so insignificant would lead to someone doing this.

Elessar · 12-09-2007 2:01pm

Ouch.

I bet RTE wont even report it, so typical when news involves suicide.

Dord · 12-09-2007 2:04pm

Crap! :eek:

My little sister was getting her results this morning and we live around there. Just waiting to hear back from my Mam.

Mr.Nice Guy · 12-09-2007 2:05pm

Sh*t that's tragic news. Failing a Junior Cert subject is not the end of the world and I think it's time schools hammered home this fact. I remember feeling like I was going to puke when I did mine. The pressure of these exams is greater than a lot of people realise.

My heart goes out to her family.

Bex81 · 12-09-2007 2:09pm

I nearly failed all my JC subjects, pulled up my socks for the LC and now have 2 MScs. I wish she knew how unimportant something like the JC is in the long run...
God bless her and all who loved her

mikemac · 12-09-2007 2:10pm

Terrible news, RIP

And if her parents were pushing her to be a high achiever and paying for grinds, they'll probably blame themselves.

Don't know the family so can't speculate though

Level of mental health care in this country is shocking!

You Suck! · 12-09-2007 2:10pm

J.C is a joke, might have meant something in the past when most left for work, training and not for college. That any student could feel this pressurized about it is disgusting and tragic.

Sad to see

Plug · 12-09-2007 2:13pm

God thats terrible:(
But over the junior cert results hardly? I say she was having problems at home with the parents.

6th · 12-09-2007 2:17pm

Plug wrote:

I say she was having problems at home with the parents.

Why would you say that? Surely thats very unfair on the parents if its not the case.

Dord · 12-09-2007 2:20pm

joe robot wrote:

Crap! :eek:

My little sister was getting her results this morning and we live around there. Just waiting to hear back from my Mam.

My sister's fine....phew

Its awful about the girl though

watna · 12-09-2007 2:22pm

It's mad that it's a girl. From all the recent news articles (and threads) I automatically expected it to be a boy.

cance · 12-09-2007 2:22pm

6th wrote:

Why would you say that? Surely thats very unfair on the parents if its not the case.

please dont start that argument.

Giblet · 12-09-2007 2:23pm

Maybe her parents were pressuring her over the JC results? It happens. Not saying that's the case, though.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 12-09-2007 2:24pm

joe robot wrote:

My sister's fine....phew

Its awful about the girl though

How did your sister do?

Dord · 12-09-2007 2:24pm

Some kids pressure themselves...who knows what was going through the childs mind. There's no point speculating.

Boston · 12-09-2007 2:24pm

maybe a million things tbh.

Dord · 12-09-2007 2:25pm

Mairt wrote:

How did your sister do?

No idea. my mam just said she was ok.

I'll find out when I get home. I doubt she did as good as your son though.

KilbarrackBlows · 12-09-2007 2:26pm

Thats awfull im just around the corner from that station practicly.
Poor girl what a waste of a life makes you wonder what kind of preasure some kids are under these days.

bill_ashmount · 12-09-2007 2:27pm

Rip

Mr.Nice Guy · 12-09-2007 2:44pm

Sometimes pressure can come from the students themselves. I think that was certainly the case with me. My parents used to tell me not to worry but I worried nonetheless.

I think schools are primarily to blame as they should regard the JC as simply preparation for the LC rather than a huge exam itself. On my first day of second year we were told that the road to the Junior Cert was starting now and made to believe that it was of extreme importance.

I remember when it was over and I ended up in TY realising that the whole exam was nowhere near as significant as I had been led to believe. I doubt my school was the only one which propagated this myth.

The_B_Man · 12-09-2007 2:47pm

the worst thing is, the junior cert is useless! teachers put it in their minds that its really important! if this girl had some perspective and was told REALLY ow important it is, she'd prob be walkin around with her schoolmates now.

Plug · 12-09-2007 2:47pm

6th wrote:

Why would you say that? Surely thats very unfair on the parents if its not the case.

This is surley going to spark an argument but i would have thought theres more to this than an exam...

arybvtcw0eolkf · 12-09-2007 2:50pm

Mr.Nice Guy wrote:

Sometimes pressure can come from the students themselves. I think that was certainly the case with me. My parents used to tell me not to worry but I worried nonetheless.

I think schools are primarily to blame as they should regard the JC as simply preparation for the LC rather than a huge exam itself. On my first day of second year we were told that the road to the Junior Cert was starting now and made to believe that it was of extreme importance.

I remember when it was over and I ended up in TY realising that the whole exam was nowhere near as significant as I had been led to believe. I doubt my school was the only one which propagated this myth.

My young lad were led down the same path.

But we've never, ever put presure on the kids to do well in exams. And besides that my son is just too laid back to bother stressing too much.

My daughter has just started inthe same school this year and we're trying to shelter her from hearing about this poor girl right at the moment.

My daughter is only 12 and dyslexic, so whatever pressure we took off my son there's even less going to be placed on her.

This a quiry for you younger people here.

Is there no councilling services provided on exams result days in the schools?. No one a pupil can go and talk over their concerns?.

dame · 12-09-2007 2:55pm

Elessar wrote:

Ouch.

I bet RTE wont even report it, so typical when news involves suicide.

Suicides are often not reported in case they cause copy-cat incidents.

RIP.

Boston · 12-09-2007 2:58pm

Mairt wrote:

Is there no councilling services provided on exams result days in the schools?. No one a pupil can go and talk over their concerns?.

There is, but thats like a drop in the ocean. For all you know this girl was having sever and prolonged mental problems. Stress from exams doesn't cause these problems, but rather bring them to the forefront. Also exams are teh least of it tbh, all the other bull**** surrounding teenage life was always harder to deal with.

MrJoeSoap · 12-09-2007 3:02pm

dame wrote:

Suicides are often not reported in case they cause copy-cat incidents.

RIP.

Makes you wonder why genocide is reported then.

kev_s88 · 12-09-2007 3:03pm

even if there is counselling services available how many 14/15 yr olds are gonna know that what there feeling requires help.how many 14/15 yr olds are gonna go talk to someone!!! thats something thats not emphasised enough in schools!!! kids need to know that there is someone!! i just did my LC and we were told from the start of 5th year that we could talk to any of our teachers if we were havin worries or under pressure or whatever...

RIP

eth0_ · 12-09-2007 3:05pm

Plug wrote:

God thats terrible:(
But over the junior cert results hardly? I say she was having problems at home with the parents.

I wouldn't point the finger at her parents, but I find it difficult to believe - if it was suicide - that it was 100% over failing an exam. It's 10 years since I did my junior but I don't remember anyone thinking it was going to be the end of the world if they ended up failing anything. Have things changed that much?

Boston · 12-09-2007 3:06pm

kev_s88 wrote:

even if there is counselling services available how many 14/15 yr olds are gonna know that what there feeling requires help.how many 14/15 yr olds are gonna go talk to someone!!! thats something thats not emphasised enough in schools!!! kids need to know that there is someone!! i just did my LC and we were told from the start of 5th year that we could talk to any of our teachers if we were havin worries or under pressure or whatever...

RIP

More often then not the person provided is a **** tard. Also the kid has no expectation of privacy relating to matters discussed with a school councilor.

eth0_ · 12-09-2007 3:09pm

dame wrote:

Suicides are often not reported in case they cause copy-cat incidents.

RIP.

What is your source for this claim?

Methinks Iarnrod Eireann have a fantastic PR team, because suicides and deaths on their network happen relatively regularly and almost never make the news.

tolosenc · 12-09-2007 3:17pm

Shit. Her dad works with my dad. Bollox.

Plissken1 · 12-09-2007 3:25pm

The_B_Man wrote:

the worst thing is, the junior cert is useless! teachers put it in their minds that its really important! if this girl had some perspective and was told REALLY ow important it is, she'd prob be walkin around with her schoolmates now.

The Junior cert didnt exist when I was in School, it would be really sad if someone did die, I hope its just a rumour. These days you don't even need the Leaving Cert (although it does help) to get into Third Level Education. You can even be accepted into Medicine now without a Leaving Cert. There is a two year Science course you can apply for, which you have to pass with destinction. But it goes to show that kids should not be made to think that these exams they do when they are still just babies really, are worth getting so stressed about, when they have their whole lives ahead of them to decide what they want to do.

Boston · 12-09-2007 3:31pm

eth0_ wrote:

What is your source for this claim?

Methinks Iarnrod Eireann have a fantastic PR team, because suicides and deaths on their network happen relatively regularly and almost never make the news.

He right, RTE have this policy anyway. Suicides are almost never reported as such. If this is reported it will be referred to as an 'incident' involving a young girl.

Boston · 12-09-2007 3:32pm

Plissken1 wrote:

The Junior cert didnt exist when I was in School, it would be really sad if someone did die, I hope its just a rumour. These days you don't even need the Leaving Cert (although it does help) to get into Third Level Education. You can even be accepted into Medicine now without a Leaving Cert. There is a two year Science course you can apply for, which you have to pass with destinction. But it goes to show that kids should not be made to think that these exams they do when they are still just babies really, are worth getting so stressed about, when they have their whole lives ahead of them to decide what they want to do.

Hippy notions like that are all well and good until the real work bites you in the ass.

eth0_ · 12-09-2007 3:42pm

Plissken1 wrote:

You can even be accepted into Medicine now without a Leaving Cert. There is a two year Science course you can apply for, which you have to pass with destinction.

You most certainly can not get into medicine without a leaving cert that includes science subjects! What is this course you are talking about?

Even for the new graduate entry courses in medicine, iirc in UCD you need 400 points in your leaving cert - even if you have a first class hons in biomedical science or similar!

digitally-yours · 12-09-2007 3:48pm

dame wrote:

Suicides are often not reported in case they cause copy-cat incidents.

RIP.

What about Rape,Theft,Drugs & Bullying ?

I guess they need to create awareness among people about these issues.

Also there should be enough help for anyone seeking help.

Its a Sad story and those responsible whoever they are should hang their head in shame.

jdivision · 12-09-2007 3:52pm

eth0_ wrote:

What is your source for this claim?

Methinks Iarnrod Eireann have a fantastic PR team, because suicides and deaths on their network happen relatively regularly and almost never make the news.

I'm a journalist and can confirm that as a general rule extensive coverage is not given to very public suicides because there are copycat incidents. That tends to be ignored by some of the tabloids now however. I remember The Star about 8 years ago went big on a guy who committed suicide in the Liffey, there was a copycat two weeks later and another person tried after that but was dragged out.

Cabaal · 12-09-2007 3:53pm

The_B_Man wrote:

the worst thing is, the junior cert is useless! teachers put it in their minds that its really important! if this girl had some perspective and was told REALLY ow important it is, she'd prob be walkin around with her schoolmates now.

Fully agree, Junior cert is completely meaningless in the scale of things, it only gives you an idea what a proper exam is like but the results basically mean nothing,

No point in people getting depressed because they got bad results in it,

rossie1977 · 12-09-2007 4:14pm

thats awful. i didnt bother doing anything for my junior cert and didn't even sit my leaving

still ended up getting a first class in both my degree and Masters.

Teachers in school MUST STOP this competition that goes on in secondary school. They treat the LC like its the end of the world and that if you don't get a LC you will amount to nothing :mad:

purple'n'gold · 12-09-2007 4:26pm

Cabaal wrote:

Fully agree, Junior cert is completely meaningless in the scale of things, it only gives you an idea what a proper exam is like but the results basically mean nothing,

No point in people getting depressed because they got bad results in it,

I wouldn’t say that the junior cert is meaningless, the ESB only look for the best junior certs when they are looking for apprentices. They don’t look for leaving cert results.

lazygit · 12-09-2007 4:29pm

I believe i was on the train when this happned, it was the 10:15 service from Drogheda to Dublin, i was in the front carrige when the driver announced there was an issue with the train, he then informed us all to leave the front carrige of the train and move to the rear carriges.

About 30mins later a new driver arrived and announced there was an serious incendent on the track and that we would be moving asap. We were not allowed to leave the train at any stage.

RIP to who ever it was, and best of luck to the driver in the future, the poor chap must be very upset.

Binomate · 12-09-2007 4:31pm

purplengold wrote:

I wouldn’t say that the junior cert is meaningless, the ESB only look for the best junior certs when they are looking for apprentices. They don’t look for leaving cert results.

The only value the Junior Cert has to anyone is that it gives the student some experience in state examinations before the Leaving Cert. It also may be useful to someone who fails at secondary school and drops out before the leaving cert. Even at that, it's pretty useless.

P.s, To anyone else who hasn't the balls to admit that killing yourself over Junior Cert. results is beyond retarded, and who is offended by what I've got to say, I beg you to cry more. It's delicious.

eth0_ · 12-09-2007 4:33pm

lazygit wrote:

RIP to who ever it was, and best of luck to the driver in the future, the poor chap must be very upset.

Indeed. It's a particularly selfish way of committing suicide - not giving a thought to the poor driver and railway staff who have to live with having killed someone with the train, and seeing their body scattered over the tracks. Wouldn't be surprised if it has ruined some drivers lives.

"Incident" at Howth Junction station

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