Are the projects for History and Geography compulsory?

Moonlight Serenade

Hi.

I am planning to do my Leaving Cert at home.

Amongst other subjects, I want to do History and Geography. I know that part of the syllabus for these subjects is a project. In both subjects the project is worth 20% of the total mark.

I know that you have to have the teacher signing off your project to show that it is your original work, etc. - and as I'm at home I won't have a teacher to do that for me.

So I was wondering if I can leave out the projects altogether and sit just the written examinations in June?

Is this allowed? Will I be allowed to do the written exams if I don't do the projects?

Thank you.

Just Like Heaven

You'll be allowed to sit the papers, but you'll be down 100 marks or whatever, so unless you're looking to just pass the exam I'd get onto a school near you and see if you can work something out, or just leave it and take subjects that don't have projects.

Exo

You will lose out on marks, since there is no exemption for candidates sitting the Leaving Cert outside of certified institutions. I personally wouldn't recommend repeating outside of school if you want to achieve above average points - I'm not saying that it can't be done but you're already putting yourself down for not completing the required project(s). If you can, choose different subjects to maximize your potential points wise, or resit the Leaving Cert elsewhere (does not have to be in the same school as before).

Moonlight Serenade

Thanks for your answers, fewtins and Exo. I will think about it.

MathsManiac

If you really fancy sticking with Geography and/or History and don't want to sacrifice the marks and the educational benefits of the coursework, you should give serious consideration to Fewtin's suggestion that you contact a local school to see if you can work out an arrangement in which a Geography teacher and/or a History teacher could supervise your project work. There IS a provision for this to happen in the SEC's regulations, and there's a particular form (P3) that's used in relation to it.

It's much more than just a formality though - the teacher has to be able to confirm that your work was supervised sufficiently well to allow him or her to certify that it is your own authentic work, and the principal also has to sign off that you were following a course of study of the subject in the school and that he/she is satisfied with the monitoring and supervision of the cousework. The SEC would take a dim view of a school that didn't take that responsibility seriously. The schools' integrity and reputation are on the line if there's any funny business.

Also, it's not sufficient, for example, for a teacher who's giving you grinds to sign off on this - it has to be done through a school.

See paragraph 5(d) of this SEC document:
http://www.examinations.ie/exam/memorandum_of_instructions.pdf

See also what it is that the teacher and school have to be able to certify, by clicking on the link in the above document to the P3 form.

Noccy_Mondy

Also, bear in mind that with Geography anyway (not sure about history) you have to physically go and carry out an investigation for the fieldstudy. This year the Leaving Certs in our school are off to Fermanagh and we're based in Mayo!