Candidates sitting extra subjects

teach432

Hi all,

Just a quick query. I teach a 6th year class by night in Cork City and I have some external students coming to me (i.e. students from other schools).

One of the students commented recently that her principal told her that since nobody else would be sitting this subject in that school, she would not be allowed to sit it there.

Having just contacted the SEC this morning, they confirm that she cannot sit all her usual exams in her school and then her extra subject in mine.

Has anyone else come across this issue?

Thanks!

spurious

She can sit the subject in her school. She just needs to inform her Exam Secretary before the entries go in.
Her Principal is wrong - for example, many schools have one child sitting Lithuanian or Bulgarian or whatever and they can sit them in their own schools.

rainbowtrout

Her principal is just being awkward and probably just doesn't want to come in to open the school that day because no other students will be in. She is perfectly entitled to sit the subject in the school and once she enters the subject on her form, then the supervisor for her centre will be there on that day.

We always have a couple of students doing the non curricular languages (Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian) so the school is open for them and others taking a subject not offered in the school. We had one student doing Italian last year because her family is Italian and school was open for her on the last day and she was the only one in.

teach432

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Her principal is just being awkward and probably just doesn't want to come in to open the school that day because no other students will be in.

I had a feeling it was something like that. I've never had an issue with any other schools. Thanks for the help!

TheDriver

remember its the sec decides on who is doing exams and where coz they pay for it. principal has no say unless that person will cause an issue with the exams process e.g. troublemaker

evolving_doors

TheDriver wrote: »

remember its the sec decides on who is doing exams and where coz they pay for it. principal has no say unless that person will cause an issue with the exams process e.g. troublemaker

I don't know about that as it hasn't been my experience in the past, the refusal always came from the principal.
First off its the students decision to do the course and apply to sit an exam,on what grounds would the Sec refuse?
As regards the where.. I also taught an extra subject outside the school and in a class of about 15 there were always about 3 students who were told to look elsewhere by their respective principals, this is despite them informing the person organising exams in the school in September (as I had advised them to do). Despite the fact the schools were open that day for another subject. Despite the fact that their classmates were also doing the same exam that day!
For the practicals I had to ring the Sec who who put me in touch with a practicals examiner who had to make numerous calls to different schools to get them in. Now I don't know if there was ' history' between these students and the principals but it happened every year despite trying to sort it as early a possible even with parents pleading with the school.
Of course the majority of principals were totally fine with including the student or applying for 1 paper for one student on their own...or even ringing neighbouring schools on their behalf to let them take the exam there. So people are people, but it does happen and it has come down to a principal's decision to outright refuse to accommodate. BTW the exam subject is usually at the end so maybe it was curtailing the school closure for that summer by an extra day!

teach432

Armelodie wrote: »

I don't know about that as it hasn't been my experience in the past, the refusal always came from the principal.

Yes, but surely the only reason a principal would refuse something like this is snottiness.

spurious

teach432 wrote: »

Yes, but surely the only reason a principal would refuse something like this is snottiness.

I can't think of any other reason. Schools are open for most of the summer. (What Joe? Schools are open?).

If the Principal can't be there for some reason during the exam period, the DP can, or at a push the Exam Secretary.
It seems some people like to create problems for themselves.

rainbowtrout

spurious wrote: »

I can't think of any other reason. Schools are open for most of the summer. (What Joe? Schools are open?).

If the Principal can't be there for some reason during the exam period, the DP can, or at a push the Exam Secretary.
It seems some people like to create problems for themselves.

The Principal and DP are usally knocking about the week after the exams are all over to do stuff for the following year like timetabling, sorting out books for book rental etc. I'd imagine it's similar in other schools.

teacherhead

spurious wrote: »

I can't think of any other reason. Schools are open for most of the summer. (What Joe? Schools are open?).

If the Principal can't be there for some reason during the exam period, the DP can, or at a push the Exam Secretary.
It seems some people like to create problems for themselves.

there's also an examinations aide who can do this in the absence of the principal.

evolving_doors

teach432 wrote: »

Yes, but surely the only reason a principal would refuse something like this is snottiness.

Who knows there may have been something genuine! I suppose for the OP however, they might be better served by getting in touch with the SEC and working at it from that angle!

aratsarse101

Here is a copy of the letter your student and/or her parents should send to the principal. There is only one way to deal with some people and that is head on, but politely.

Dear Ms Difficunt, (Principal and Secretary to the Board of Management)

Mary will be sitting her Leaving Certificate in the S.E.C. Centre in named school this June. As well as the subjects she has been studying in school, she has been working very hard at extrapointsology and will also sit this subject in the same centre in June. Please advise us in writing as soon as you can, including reasons, if you feel this is not possible.

Yours sincerely,
Parents who won't take no for an answer

Edit underlined terms as appropriate

rainbowtrout

There's no need. The students will be getting a form this month that they tick off the exam subjects they will be sitting. This student only has to tick that extra subject on the form. The SEC will be collating that data and will allocate a supervisor to that centre for the appropriate number of days. Principal won't have much say in shutting down then.

teach432

Armelodie wrote: »

Who knows there may have been something genuine! I suppose for the OP however, they might be better served by getting in touch with the SEC and working at it from that angle!

Got in touch with the SEC before I started this thread. They confirmed that there is no way a student can sit an extra exam in a different centre. I don't think they would really be concerned with the politics of what's going on in this principal's head!

I like the idea of the letter though. Parent-power is very effective!

spurious

teach432 wrote: »

Got in touch with the SEC before I started this thread. They confirmed that there is no way a student can sit an extra exam in a different centre. I don't think they would really be concerned with the politics of what's going on in this principal's head!

I like the idea of the letter though. Parent-power is very effective!

It's true they can't deal with a candidate in two centres, but they can easily deal with a candidate doing an extra subject in their own centre.