Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Quinn announces overhaul of Junior Cert

  • 06-10-2012 3:36pm
    #1
    RandomName2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,570 ✭✭✭


    In the news, etc.

    Quinn has announced plans to move away from a formal examination for the JC to a continuous assessment based scheme... which is currently known as school.

    I mean, seriously, we currently have secondary school teachers who assess and mark their students and send home report cards specifying 'must work harder' or 'model student' and then have face-to-face meetings with parents in the rather obviously named Parent-Teacher-Meetings.

    So Quinn is essentially advocating the abolition of the Junior Certificate.

    Why?
    • It is not particularly stressful on students as their future career paths are not predicated on their JC results - unlike the Leaving Certificate.
    • It provides non-biased assessment.
    • It is the first such examination that students face and provides valuable preparation for the Leaving Certificate cycle.

    In particulate I found a massive leap, personally, in the curriculum between primary and secondary school back in the day. There was no real rigour in the education in junior schools as there are no state examinations to enforce such rigour.

    Whilst I accept a criticism going around that some of the examinations are geared towards wrote learning as opposed to a real understanding of the respective subject matter; surely this is an issue with the examination in question rather than the concept of examination per se?


Comments

  • #2
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,378 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    The junior cert is a pointless exam and it would be better to assess students on an ongoing basis instead of a memory exercise.


  • #3
    RandomName2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,570 ✭✭✭RandomName2


    jimmycrackcorm wrote: »
    The junior cert is a pointless exam and it would be better to assess students on an ongoing basis instead of a memory exercise.

    If it is pointless, then surely it cannot be too stressful?

    If it fails due to its being a memory exercise, does that mean that all examinations fail for the same reason? If not ... why?


  • #4
    GCU Flexible Demeanour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,257 ✭✭✭GCU Flexible Demeanour


    Already a thread on this

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056772945


  • #5
    RandomName2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,570 ✭✭✭RandomName2


    GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »
    Already a thread on this

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056772945

    woops


  • #6
    Frogeye
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 365 ✭✭Frogeye


    you can mess around with all the exams, subjects and formats you like but if the guy or girl doesn't have the interest or the support from home then forget it.

    the real problem with education in Ireland and most countries is that parents are leaving too much to the schools, the minister for education and the rest know this but can't say it because parents are voters and voters don't like being told the truth-they tend not to vote for people who tell them what they don't like to hear.


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    An Coilean
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,285 ✭✭✭An Coilean


    Frogeye wrote: »
    you can mess around with all the exams, subjects and formats you like but if the guy or girl doesn't have the interest or the support from home then forget it.

    Its not really about if the student has an interest in the subject, more if the teacher is capable of motivating their students.


Advertisement