Do people still leave school after the Junior Cert?

sonx

school after the junior? just wondering is it common, no one I know did. with the new thing coming in in England were people have to stay in school till there 18, there's talks of it coming in here. Would students be against that??? Don't you think some people are destined for other things? I went to college myself, but all that is not for everyone. Some people are better off doing courses and learning skills, the more practically minded.

spurious

Yes some people still leave school after the Junior, some still leave before it.
The DES isn't keen on it as obviously these are the people that in many cases become long-term unemployed or drift from unskilled job to unskilled job.
I agree, some students are best get into the workplace/training as soon as possible, but all too often, trainee apprentices are expected to have at least a pass Leaving, so the kid with just the JC gets squeezed out even more.

The Leaving Cert. Applied course is helping and it is a fantastic course for employers to take trainees from, particularly due to the attendance, time-keeping and deadline-meeting requirements. Sadly there is still a great deal of snobbery in Irish schools and a number of kids who would do an excellent LCA are funnelled into standard LC only to do very badly.

Cian92

Yes many people do. i just finished the Junior Cert and am in 5th Year, the year is completely mixed up many people have left, one is now training as a hairdresser another will be leaving to join the army as soon as he is 16 a few have gone of to be apprentices, not too many because of the recession. One person in our year had left around a month before the Junior Cert and just came back in to do it, he is doing fine now as a plasterer. Im not saying its a good thing but for some people its very good does who mightnt be academicial are now off making money out of the whole system.

Jay P

I would be inclined to agree with raising the leaving age. I mean, imho, at 16 people can't vote, drink, smoke or drive because, put simply, you're not thought of as being mature enough or whatever. I don't see why it isn't compulsory to have done a leaving cert as well. It's a massive step to leave school so early, and generally these people are not very informed about what their plans or options are when they leave.

insinkerator

I agree with Jay P, 16 is way too youbg to be capable of making an informed decision about your future.... granted 18 isnt a whole lot better, but is a little bit better. I would be wholly in support of a law making it compulsory to do the leaving cert, be it the standard one or applied

hattie-f

Im in quite a country area so alot of people especially boys drop out to go run and help out in farms they will be inheiriting
others just drop out cos school is ''boring''

jelly:)

LCA is the alternative leaving cert designed for those who do not like 'traditional' school, my school does have a good LCA set up but even still about 5 people left school alltogether after the Jc. I think this was because most of these people had been held back in primary school or did pre-first year, thay were older than everybody else and generally HATED school.

I do think that some form of the leaving cert should be made compulsory for the simple reason that nowadays it is near impossible to secure an apprentinship prior to completing the LC. But by making people stay in school for two extra years might make certain people hate school even more and thay may waste two more years of their lives.

Its a difficult decision to make as everyone is different and wants and needs different things.