Sean Flynn, helpful as ever

allprops

The Irish Times - Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Bonus maths system to push up points for college courses
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SEÁN FLYNN, Education Editor

LEAVING CERTIFICATE students face increased CAO points for many higher-level college courses this year – despite the decline in numbers sitting the exam.

Career experts say the new bonus points system for maths – which awards 25 extra points to higher level exam candidates – is among factors putting upward pressure on points levels for many courses.

Sean Flynn's need to fill space on the day before the exams is atrocious. Needless speculation followed by an attempt to increase stress levels. This is a pitiful excuse for journalism.

Toto Wolfcastle

Hi, I've edited your post because I'm not sure if we're allowed to link to full articles for copyright reasons. Do you have a link to the article so that people can read the rest of it?

Edit: Found it.

delta_bravo

I cant wait until the articles come out blaming all the english students for taking all the college places to avoid higher fees

jonseyblub

As well as that he actually got it wrong in the print addition and the early web addition in that he stated that students only got bonus points if they got C3 or above.

allprops

What really annoyed me about the article is the timing of it. This information has been in the public domain for a couple of years. He decided to put it in on the day before the exams start. The exam is hard enough without the hype.

Powerhouse

Funny thing is that there was an opinion piece by Conor Brady - former editor of The Irish Times - last February in the same newspaper lamenting the ascendancy of the internet as a news source where nearly everything is unverified gossip (his words), unsubstantiated assertion or at best piggy-backing on the work of journalists who have done the hard yards in getting the initial story.

I wonder what he would make of an entire article like that which appears to be based on nothing more substantiated than writing 'It is expected' along with various other passive-voice assertions. His comments about the internet were actually fair enough but if this is what is being churned out by mainstream media then such criticisms ring a little hollow. 'Physician, heal thyself' comes to mind!

spurious

Flynn's latest nonsense is that (apparently)
On average, a teacher taking on exam work can expect to earn an extra €5,000.
from http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0606/1224317368927.html

Did you ever hear such rubbish?

I have corrected for years and the most I ever made was about €1400 - and it wasn't worth the torment.

bdoo

spurious wrote: »

Flynn's latest nonsense is that (apparently)
On average, a teacher taking on exam work can expect to earn an extra €5,000.
from http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0606/1224317368927.html

Did you ever hear such rubbish?

I have corrected for years and the most I ever made was about €1400 - and it wasn't worth the torment.

Complete nonsense, I can't even imagine how that would even be the earnings of a single individual much less a factual average. It seems to be more of the same trip trotted out again and again.

Getting as bad as the Indo?

It has occurred to me that the justification may be that if someone did oral + superintendent + corrections + appeals corrections that they may approach the 5k gross figure!

Our pension levy etc would soon take care of that!

evolving_doors

My god what an idiot... June 7th article . "five things you need to know about LC 2012"

Who is the 'you' he is addressing? I can just imagine some poor teenage sod squinting his eyes for advice from this drivel that an english teacher would cry in pain over whilst reading.


"And don’t think you can pick up those cog notes by visiting the toilet during the exams. The commission says superintendents will search cisterns before and during the exam to ensure there is no foul play. It all reminds us of that great scene in The Godfather when Al Pacino retrieved the gun from the bathroom . . ." yes I'm sure the average 17year old will delight at that Al Pacino analogy alright.

God this is lazy jounalism at it's worst

at least he didn't say to drink plenty of water...

doc_17

I have a problem with him saying that the average pay of teachers doing examination work is 5000euro. But wouldn't someone correcting HL LC English get close to that? Gross?