Junior cert may be axed in the next budget?

Slow Show

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/junior-cert-to-be-cut-in-budget-432523.html

:eek:

Well, what do ye think? :cool:

Greenmachine

I don't believe this for a second.

Slow Show

Greenmachine wrote: »

I don't believe this for a second.

It's going a bit far, isn't it? I was shocked when I heard it was on the radio...
Ara well, I'm sure there'll be protests and all that.

Enigma'

I do think a system of continuous assessment would be more beneficial, certainly gives a better indication of a students overall performance than a a 2/3 hour exam in which 3 years work is meant to be crammed into. The JC is worth sweet FA after the Leaving Cert anyway.

merlin39

yep, a good idea. LC should be CA aswell for two years.

Condoms

Junior cert will definitly be axed within the next 5 years, no real revelance any more, maybe was usefull in the 1970's or 1980's but not now

Slow Show

In all fairness, I think the Junior Cert is relevant. Once the Leaving Cert is over, it's unimportant in the real world, yeah, but it's something to work for in my opinion. The continuous assessments just wouldn't be the same. I get them in school anyways and sometimes I put a lot of work in and do really well, and sometimes I have other stuff going on in my life that means I can't study for every single test. I don't mind the format of it or anything, although who knows? The new way might be better...sure we'll see. I just think it's another way for the government to make money by cutting the quality of education system, which isn't that brilliant anyways.
I suppose they can hardly change the course for present 1st, 2nd and 3rd years can they? I'm glad I'm in the middle of it now anyways, I don't mind this way.

padocon

Y-A-E!

ayumi

is it going to be applied for this yrs junior certs and 1st & 2nd yrs?

jumpguy

Yeaaaah...I doubt this'll happen. It'd be of fiece debate if ever proposed. Continuous assessment may come in, but there'll still be a final exam. Personally, I think nothing is gonna change.

In the unlikely event they do end the JC and bring in continuous assessment only, it'll probably be after the 2012 exams and begin for new first years. Again, don't get excited, you may find out for the LC you wish you had experience at "big" state exams.

Kevin!

Is there any chance of this happening for the 2010 junior cert?

jumpguy

Kevin! wrote: »

Is there any chance of this happening for the 2010 junior cert?

Not a hope.

spurious

The Junior Certificate is still a Leaving Certificate for more than a few people. Not people who are generally represented on boards.ie, probably not owning a computer, but they are there nonetheless.

There is no educational basis on which to scrap the Junior Cert., but we are talking about FF, so that's nothing new.

It should have been implemented properly and fully as planned in 1992. There's still time to do it now.

Kevin!

Xx_emma_xX wrote: »

I'm in 2nd year and I don't want it to be axed...I think you need some sort of experience at a state exam before the Leaving Cert. I'm glad that they can't really do it to us now that half the course is done for most of our subjects.
And what about projects and stuff, they all count towards the Junior Cert, especially for CSPE [not that I'd mind if that particular subject was axed] and Home EC, Science and other practical subjects.
I don't think it will happen though. I know many people who would protest at that, they'd never get away with it.

Say that in school tomorrow and you will get flamed, a brick or two may be thrown also

padocon

Xx_emma_xX wrote: »

I'm in 2nd year and I don't want it to be axed...I think you need some sort of experience at a state exam

The mocks, would they not be enough torture?

Closed ac

Hmm, I'm in two minds about this.

1. It's good because for the obvious reason, no exams?
2. It's good preparation & practice and also something to aim for.

Slow Show

DKZ wrote: »

Hmm, I'm in two minds about this.

1. It's good because for the obvious reason, no exams?
2. It's good preparation & practice and also something to aim for.

Yup, true. Mostly for me it's something to aim for...After a long day at school I don't exactly like the idea of 'continuous assessments'...I like the idea of leaving it all to May before the exams Ara sure we'll be grand, it's only the Junior Cert. I was in a bit of a funny mood last night...
When we mentioned this to one of our teachers he basically laughed and said it wasn't going to be that easy, and that we were stuck with it anyways.

Sn@kebite

Sorry to rain on the parade but in my knowledge this is bad for boys.

In the UK and USA girls are academically ahead than males and this is due to boys not being as focused on course work. Boys do better at big exams because they are more likely to cram toward the end of the year.

So this is quite worrying for someone who has knowledge on the differences that boys and girls learn. Schools are feminised enough afaik

If this is to be done it should be done because it's for the best for students not for the best for politicians' pockets. :rolleyes:

jumpguy

Sn@kebite wrote: »

Sorry to rain on the parade but in my knowledge this is bad for boys.

In the UK and USA girls are academically ahead than males and this is due to boys not being as focused on course work. Boys do better at big exams because they are more likely to cram toward the end of the year.

Actually girls outperform boys on all fronts, even in exams, by a good margin. (I'm male btw).

Johnny Giles

jumpguy wrote: »

Actually girls outperform boys on all fronts, even in exams, by a good margin. (I'm male btw).

Educationally - Yes.
Sport - I don't think so.

Making It Bad

jumpguy wrote: »

Actually girls outperform boys on all fronts, even in exams, by a good margin. (I'm male btw).

Yep. Fortunately men outperform woman in the real world. Boys are just far too lazy in school, too busy playing our computer games and sports.

spurious

Boys do as well as girls in subjects where there is an element of project work, or a series of defined tasks. The Junior Cert. was supposed to have a practical element in all subjects (this is why for example, History is marked out of 180 - the other 120 was supposed to be for projects) but the practicals and projects were left out of many JC subjects.

It was never implemented fully or properly.

padocon

jumpguy wrote: »

Actually girls outperform boys on all fronts, even in exams, by a good margin. (I'm male btw).

Shhh! :D


This will not happen, sadly! The fact is that patients and students would complain of teachers having something against a student because of something or other, this effecting the teachers decision in the poor grade expressed in this "continuous assessment"

And anyway why cut education! Why our future!

bluejay14

Why the children?Won't somebody think of the children?:D (Sory for the dramatics)

If it did happen it wouldn't affect me, because I'm a current J.C. but I wouldn't like it.It would mean that you would have to constantly work hard through every year, but at least with one big exam at the end, all you have to do is do the odd bit of study here and there, before mocks and a while before the actual Junior Cert.

Evan93

Well males do better in Maths than females

suitcasepink

If they change the Junior Cert, whats the point in having it??
I always looked at the J.C as a mimic of the Leaving Cert for the younger, to prepare them for what L.C would be like. If they're differnt I think it serves alot less purpose.



Oh and the thing about girls performing better than boys, isn't that in single sex schools?? Im nearly certain hearing before that in mixed its just all over the place(some having boys performing better, others girls) but the girls standard is a considerably lower in mixed.. Wonder why :L

Eoinsheehy

It's ridiculous the Junior Cert gives every student a very good idea of how they are doing and an idea of the work-load they have to do for leaving cert.

Anyway this is the first time most first-years ever faced formal exams how are they expected to study like it's your Junior cert exams?

Caught

Theres no way they're gonna axe it for this year anyway. I know from me and my friends, that the German students in school are mainly exam papers for third year, in my school we're doing them full-time from after Christmas onwards. They cant cut it as we'd have nothing to do then.

Also, they've changed the Irish exam, and Edco are reprinting the papers and giving them to the people with the originals for free. That must cost loads. No chance are they gonna make them reprint the papers and then axe the exam.

bevan619

ayumi wrote: »

is it going to be applied for this yrs junior certs and 1st & 2nd yrs?

Apparently it's going to be applied for next years 1st years.

spurious

bevan619 wrote: »

Apparently it's going to be applied for next years 1st years.

This is not true.

padocon

bevan619 wrote: »

Apparently it's going to be applied for next years 1st years.

Source?

Hurler29

well it definatley wont affect anyone in secondary right now but maybe a few years.even they do cut it they'll just make a big deal out of the 3rd summer exams. it wouldnt change much.

dont think it will happen at all though.

Moromaster

Budgeteers have been trying to cut it for over a decade. It's not going to happen. Get over it.