Can School Stop Son Sitting His LC?

danois

Ok so to cut a long story short. My son has had zero interest in school this year. I spend most days fighting screaming and arguing with him to get him to go to school. I get him up before i leave for work and quite often he goes right back to bed. I have to leave the house at 7.40 to get to work so he is home alone. At 17 you would expect that once hes up he would go in he doesn't.

Its gotten that bad now that i feel the school are close to expelling him. They are making a point of ringing me now every time he misses. I feel it is to have evidence to back them up in expelling him.

I don't blame them for wanting to get rind. He used to be a great student before 4th year. That year in his school it a total joke year and completely bored him silly and since then his effort and attendance have worsened. If i were them i probably would be doing the exact same thing.

I have sat down and talked to him. He wants to sit his leaving cert and wants to go on to college. If they do expel him will they have to let him sit his exams? I am assuming as it is their building they can refuse him entry. If that is the case can he sit his exam somewhere else? Who will be responsible for locating a place for him? If it is him/me I want to know sooner rather than later so i can start looking.

Thanks for reading.

CWF

danois wrote: »

Ok so to cut a long story short. My son has had zero interest in school this year. I spend most days fighting screaming and arguing with him to get him to go to school. I get him up before i leave for work and quite often he goes right back to bed. I have to leave the house at 7.40 to get to work so he is home alone. At 17 you would expect that once hes up he would go in he doesn't.

Its gotten that bad now that i feel the school are close to expelling him. They are making a point of ringing me now every time he misses. I feel it is to have evidence to back them up in expelling him.

I don't blame them for wanting to get rind. He used to be a great student before 4th year. That year in his school it a total joke year and completely bored him silly and since then his effort and attendance have worsened. If i were them i probably would be doing the exact same thing.

I have sat down and talked to him. He wants to sit his leaving cert and wants to go on to college. If they do expel him will they have to let him sit his exams? I am assuming as it is their building they can refuse him entry. If that is the case can he sit his exam somewhere else? Who will be responsible for locating a place for him? If it is him/me I want to know sooner rather than later so i can start looking.

Thanks for reading.

Yeah as far as I know he'd have to sit his exams somewhere else if he is expelled, the school are under no obligation to facilitate him if they don't want to in that case. Ring the department to get confirmation.

pilly

I had the same trouble with my teenage daughter OP so I feel your pain. She didn't do her leaving in the end but she would have been allowed to. Is it this year he's due to do it? If it is the school will probably not expel him, they'll just let it go I'd imagine at this stage, it's so close.

However, he's probably not going to do very well in the Leaving after missing so much school.

If it's any consolation my daughter regretted it in the end and went back to college at 23 and is about to get her degree shortly so it usually works itself out in the end.

It can be so stressful trying to get them to go in at that age but you have to bear in mind that hopefully it will work out the way it was meant to.

spurious

They can't stop him sitting it, but they can stop him sitting in it their building. The SEC would assign him either another school or one of the big centres they use for external students.
He will also need to make arrangements for any oral/practical exams he is down for as he won't be let back for them if they put him out.

For the sake of a couple of months and leaving the place he may need references from on bad terms, he's being very silly, but I'm sure you've told him that.

prosaic

Funny that a school would be able to prevent someone sitting an exam in one of the official exam centres. I woud have thought that it would be outside of the school's authority.

spurious

prosaic wrote: »

Funny that a school would be able to prevent someone sitting an exam in one of the official exam centres. I woud have thought that it would be outside of the school's authority.

The SEC do not have any centres of their own. It is at the school's discretion that they are held there, or not.
The exams are nothing to do with the schools. They do not run them, but they have a right to decide who does or does not come onto their premises.

danois

spurious wrote: »

They can't stop him sitting it, but they can stop him sitting in it their building. The SEC would assign him either another school or one of the big centres they use for external students.
He will also need to make arrangements for any oral/practical exams he is down for as he won't be let back for them if they put him out.



For the sake of a couple of months and leaving the place he may need references from on bad terms, he's being very silly, but I'm sure you've told him that.

I have told him repeatedly. He's a typical unstoppable teen who feels invincible.

He has applied for a plc course and the school have made a vague threat that he may not get that course. I really hope they don't do anything to stop that. It's a course he actually had an interest in and will attend.

He has had a job last 2 years. So he said I won't need them I can get a real reference! Teenagers are really hard work....

Thanks for the info.

spurious

It's good that he has a backup of a PLC course. The different regime there might suit him and he can hopefully avail of the FETAC entry path to Third Level if he wants to.

If you suspect in any way his present school try to influence the PLC college, I would suggest you kick up blue murder.

The PLC colleges often let people know a long time in advance whether they have a place. Make sure at the interview he makes it clear he wants to do the course and will finish it. They will probably ask why should they believe he will attend their course if he missed so much school, so he needs to get his answer ready for that. It will be better at interview if he takes personal responsibility for his non-attendance at school, rather than blaming the school/teachers/etc..

beauf

When a kid struggles with motivation, its really hard. I've one like that. If you have to drag them to a college place you'll might just end up having the same problem there also.

flatty

I had to sit my LC elsewhere. It isn't, and wasn't a big deal to me, bar the slight trepidation that I'd turn up and they'd never have heard of me.
I think I had to organise it myself at another school, but I can't remember the exact logistics.
He'll find his way in time , whatever happens, please God.

athlonelad

The onus is on the school who entered the candidate for the State Exams to either make their centre available or arrange an alternative school centre. They cannot just wash their hands of a student no matter what heinous thing got them expelled.
The SEC do not arrange centres for individual candidates like this. They may in certain circumstances allow the school to make a separate centre for the expelled student within the same school if it's felt their presence would be disruptive to other candidates.