Will LC be reformed after this year's crisis?

brian1999

Do people think they will reform the lc in anyway for the lc 2021 or 22 class? do people think a reform of a lc is necessary now? i see from doing it its not fit for purpose and needs to be reformed.could they follow a more silmar approach tot this year. if they do reform it do you think they wont have external student option anymore for mature students or people who need the h4 requirement for primary school

History Queen

brian1999 wrote: »

Do people think they will reform the lc in anyway for the lc 2021 or 22 class? do people think a reform of a lc is necessary now? i see from doing it its not fit for purpose and needs to be reformed.could they follow a more silmar approach tot this year. if they do reform it do you think they wont have external student option anymore for mature students or people who need the h4 requirement for primary school

There is already a review of the current LC underway with a view to changing it. Under review since last year.

randylonghorn

brian1999 wrote: »

if they do reform it do you think they wont have external student option anymore for mature students or people who need the h4 requirement for primary school

No, I don't.

I could visualise many reform paths, from the creative and visionary to the pedestrian, mundane and ultimately useless ... and I'm trying HARD to be optimistic! :rolleyes: ... but I honestly don't foresee that kind of Trumpian "we will build a wall to keep them out!!!" attitude being a part of any of them.


Btw, there is in any case already an alternative route for mature students thinking of training as primary teachers ... Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (level B1) is acceptable as the equivalent of LC H4 when applying for primary teaching.

And it often suits adult learners better: more focus on language, less on literature; generally more adult-friendly in approach to pedagogy and assessment.

What can be a problem is that depending on where the person lives, it may not be available locally / may require travel (small numbers as yet, therefore few centres).

c_f_p99

Well, the Junior Cycle is being reformed so they could hardly not reform the LC after that as otherwise, it would undermine the aims of the reformed Junior Cycle. I don't like the JC reforms, but they need to keep the JC in line with the LC so I feel that it's necessary. Continuous assessment is horrible and I wouldn't wish the stress of it on my worst enemy. In spite of my greivances with the LC (I'm in 6th year now), it's probably one of the least stressful systems out there so I'm grateful for it.

randylonghorn

c_f_p99 wrote: »

Well, the Junior Cycle is being reformed so they could hardly not reform the LC after that as otherwise, it would undermine the aims of the reformed Junior Cycle.

Meh.

c_f_p99 wrote: »

I don't like the JC reforms, but they need to keep the JC in line with the LC so I feel that it's necessary.

Again, meh.

c_f_p99 wrote: »

Continuous assessment is horrible and I wouldn't wish the stress of it on my worst enemy.

Actually, CA has a lot to be said for it, but it suits / works well for those who have reached a certain stage in their development.

Adults, for the most part, tend to thrive on it, and perform far better than they themselves expect.

Teenagers are in that alternate universe where in their own mind they are mature adults who know better than anyone ... until they get hungry or need their jocks washed, then it's suddenly "Mammmyyyyy!"

There's nothing wrong with that. It's normal, it's part of life. I was that headstrong, stubborn, know-it-all who had no clue about how the washing-machine worked once upon a time. And I remember what it was like (and quietly laugh at myself! )

But let's stop treating 17yo's who don't know how to use the washing machine as adults who know how they should be assessed at LC ... yes, I'm looking at you, ISSU lobby group! Yes, lobby group, not union, because none of your behaviour in the last few weeks has suggested union, or representative voice of 60k + LC students.

And, on the other hand, let's not impose systems which work well with adults on teenagers who (for the most part, there are always exceptions) are not yet ready to deal with them.

c_f_p99 wrote: »

In spite of my grievances with the LC (I'm in 6th year now), it's probably one of the least stressful systems out there so I'm grateful for it.

Yes, because while it is difficult and challenging, it is fair and you know what is expected.

And it doesn't matter whose parents went to college with the minister, it won't gain you a grade, or even a point in the LC ... or a preference in the CAO.

And it shouldn't.

But elsewhere in the world ... it does.

And while there are aspects to LC which quite honestly drive me insane ... I genuinely don't want to lose that anonymity, that blindness of the machine to the individual, that realisation that when 2,000 years ago (plus) the ancient Greeks portrayed Justice as blind, they had a point ... in other words, that fairness.

Barbeapapa

I agree this crisis has highlighted the positives of the traditional leaving cert.

But I'm not sure of the positives of the whole two years of study hinging on one exam paper. Discussing this with my teenager we could only come up with splitting it over 5th and 6th year. So half the course tested at the end of 5th year, orals (which auto corrected to morals...might not a bad idea ðŸ˜) and practical along the way and then the remaining percentages dependant on 6th year June exams.

We reckoned that would spread the stress, keep the momentum and focus going and in the event of a pandemic lockdown (hopefully never again) or an illness for the student or death in the family, there are already results there. Plus university applications would be less last minute as they would have a clearer idea of their chances before June and universities could do the UK method of offering places based on predicted points so students would have a clearer goal to work towards. The idea that a student doesn't know where they will be living in September until mid to late August is crazy and makes sorting out rented accommodation more difficult than it should be.