Leaving Cert as External Candidate - Help!!

sleepytom

Hello all, I'm in trouble and need some advice please.

Here goes:

I'm doing my entire Leaving Cert as an external candidate, 7 subjects in total - 3 of which involve project work: Religion, Geography & Ag. Science.

I have found a school willing to let me sit the exam as an External Candidate but I have not, however, been able to find a school that is willing to provide some support (in form of supervision mainly) for the subjects involving project work.

I tried to ask whether I could complete my project work in the school - I asked whether I could maybe take part in supervised study for a few days because there are always free & supervised classes in schools.

But no, the principal of the school was very rude to me and said that I have no business in the school and no business calling them. I should be calling the SEC instead. They'll provide me with a table and chair for the exam and that's it.

So I called the SEC. I was told that I would need to find a qualified teacher who is currently teaching in a school to give me "grinds" (supervise the completion of the project privately) and then that teacher and the principal of that school would be able to sign off on the project.

Very hard to find anyone willing to do this...! Many places don't even teach Religion as a Leaving Cert subject so that makes it even harder.

Ag. Science is the most complicated issue at hand though because the project is graded by your teacher in your school (have neither teacher nor school), then an examiner comes in and randomly selects a few students from your class (have no class either) for interview where he/she will ask you questions about your project and re-mark your project.

Getting a hold of the booklets is also impossible as an external candidate as they are only provided to and through schools.

What can I do? I'm in Limerick and I'm at wits end. Hey, maybe I should make this an ad ... any Ag. Science, Religion or Geography teachers out there?

I'm sorry to be ranting. Any advise is much appreciated.

Thanks, Tom.

rainbowtrout

Can I ask why you signed up for three subjects involving coursework without having teachers lined up for them?

I agree with the principal to be honest, I've seen plenty of external students who just land up to a school and because they've elected to sit their exams in that school they assume that they have access to all the teachers in that schools as well. You don't. You're not a student in that school, teachers are not obliged to take on extra work for anyone that just rambles in off the street. Principals are also obliged to protect their students, they can't just have strangers wandering around in the school and into classes as they feel like it.

Supervised study in a school for a few days? There are always free and supervised classes? Are you having a laugh? So my students put in two years work for the subject and you land in for three days and that should be good enough to get a grade??

I'm saying all this as an Ag Science teacher and examiner. The ag science project is due March 31st. You've had more than 6 months to get this sorted and you haven't. I would not take on an external student under any circumstances who rocked up to my class two weeks before the project is due and expected me to grade him, when I have no idea of his ability, he hasn't done any of the work under my supervision (a requirement) and as that student would then be graded along with my class, I would not put my own students grades in jeopardy for the sake of an unknown quantity.

I can see you're in a difficult position, but this is something you should have done back in September even if it involved contacting every school in the city. You took on three subjects that involved coursework without having a single teacher lined up.