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Leaving cert exam disrupted by bulldozers and rock breakers at school

2

Comments

  • #32
    BarryD2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,717 ✭✭✭BarryD2


    What do the exam candidates themselves say?? If you're concentrating on what you're doing, a lot of background noise just becomes that. Sometimes too much silence is as unsettling.


  • #33
    ClonNGB
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 229 ✭✭ClonNGB


    A quick update from students. English paper II started yesterday with diggers in full flow. Some students raised their hands to complain about the clatter outside. Next thing the principal arrived in and asked for whoever complained to be pointed out (exam numbers not names on desk, so they had to be pointed out like criminals), so they were pointed out and the principal and one of the teachers interrupted the exam of those students. They were humiliated inside in the exam hall and in the case of my offspring, failed to complete the paper on-time. Shortly after, the noise stopped (I presume with a call from Athlone), and today the activity on site stopped once the exam started. Athlone have someone there today on-site. It is not the digger I driver I blame here, but the principal who in my mind should not have been allowed in to the exam once it started.


  • #34
    GooglePlus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,010 ✭✭✭GooglePlus


    ClonNGB wrote: »
    A quick update from students. English paper II started yesterday with diggers in full flow. Some students raised their hands to complain about the clatter outside. Next thing the principal arrived in and asked for whoever complained to be pointed out (exam numbers not names on desk, so they had to be pointed out like criminals), so they were pointed out and the principal and one of the teachers interrupted the exam of those students. They were humiliated inside in the exam hall and in the case of my offspring, failed to complete the paper on-time. Shortly after, the noise stopped (I presume with a call from Athlone), and today the activity on site stopped once the exam started. Athlone have someone there today on-site. It is not the digger I driver I blame here, but the principal who in my mind should not have been allowed in to the exam once it started.

    What a horrible person to do that to a young lad/lass during their exams.

    Poor results reflect on the school, it has me baffled to think the principal is happy to allow all this commotion.


  • #35
    Aquals
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 244 ✭✭Aquals


    This is very weird - usually schools want their students to well so that they can brag about the amazing results they produce!


  • #36
    cruizer101
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,175 ✭✭✭cruizer101


    What do you mean when you say interrupted. Did they have to get up from their desks to talk to the principal? For how long?


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  • #37
    .......
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,048 ✭✭✭.......


    ClonNGB wrote: »
    Next thing the principal arrived in and asked for whoever complained to be pointed out (exam numbers not names on desk, so they had to be pointed out like criminals), so they were pointed out and the principal and one of the teachers interrupted the exam of those students. They were humiliated inside in the exam hall and in the case of my offspring, failed to complete the paper on-time.

    What does this mean? Did they lose time? Was it made up?

    Were other people doing their exam while some were being prevented?


  • #38
    ClonNGB
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 229 ✭✭ClonNGB


    Yes, they lost time. And no, no allowance was made at the end of it.
    Somebody asked why would a principal do this ? Only the principal can answer this for sure, but I was told the rules dictates the principal had to be on-site during school construction works, so if the work was done during the exam period, the added bonus is to save two weeks of time on holiday.


  • #39
    .......
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,048 ✭✭✭.......


    ClonNGB wrote: »
    Yes, they lost time. And no, no allowance was made at the end of it.

    Were they taken out of the exam hall? What exactly happened here?

    Were they told off in front of others by the principal and a teacher? This would have surely interrupted other students sitting the exam too?


  • #40
    FutureGuy
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 15,257 Mod ✭✭✭✭FutureGuy


    This is farcical. If I were the parent of a student affected by this, I'd be up in fcuking arms too.


  • #41
    BarryD2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,717 ✭✭✭BarryD2


    Doesn't sound ideal but if I was a parent there, I'd be talking it down with any child doing exams - don't be dragging them into the situation to complain and unsettling them. Just deal with it separately.


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  • #42
    Agent Smith
    Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 21,504 Mod ✭✭✭✭Agent Smith


    Name and shame the school!


  • #43
    judeboy101
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,246 ✭✭✭judeboy101


    It's against the rules for non SEC staff to enter room during exam, you need to get exam.room number and report directly to SEC, that's insanely serious. Not to mention a gdpr breach if exam invigilator gave info to principal.


  • #44
    ANXIOUS
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭ANXIOUS


    judeboy101 wrote: »
    It's against the rules for non SEC staff to enter room during exam, you need to get exam.room number and report directly to SEC, that's insanely serious. Not to mention a gdpr breach if exam invigilator gave info to principal.

    Love the GDPR breach part. :p:rolleyes::p


  • #45
    kennethsmyth
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,116 ✭✭✭kennethsmyth


    ANXIOUS wrote: »
    Love the GDPR breach part. :p:rolleyes::p

    You maybe being sarastic (dont know) but hes correct regarding the GDPR aspect.


  • #46
    BrianBoru00
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,035 ✭✭✭BrianBoru00


    1. Construction noise in close proximity would I imagine have the noise well above the "ambient" level...so I do think its unfair on the students.

    2. Principal has behaved despicably and incompetently

    3. I know parents are stressed but you need to stop with all this most important exam in their lives crack. There's always next year, and the year after. A college degree is pretty vital nowadays BUT it doesn't have to be got immediately - plenty of very successful people I've worked with had no degree until well into their careers, or had a mediocre degree and later got a masters and or PhD.
    I'm not having a go a the parents posting on here but the reason its" the most stressful exam" is because of the pressure being put on by media > encouraged by parents who are stressed > impacting on students who are stressed.

    The Leaving cert is a right of passage but unless parents of students impress upon them that the sun will still rise in the morning we as a society can't really combat all the stress and "mental health issues" that are seemingly on the increase


  • #47
    juneg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭juneg


    Well.
    You don't even want to know what I'd do to that principal.
    He is an utter disgrace of the highest order.
    Glad to hear that Athlone put a stop to it.


  • #48
    Jimbob1977
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,239 ✭✭✭Jimbob1977


    What was the principal thinking????

    Usually principals put their students' interests first.

    Building can always be caught up during the summer months.


  • #49
    ANXIOUS
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭ANXIOUS


    kennethsmyth wrote: »
    You maybe being sarastic (dont know) but hes correct regarding the GDPR aspect.

    I am beiing sarcastic and they are wrong, it's not even a 3rd cousin twice removed of anything got to do with GDPR.


  • #50
    Misguided1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 215 ✭✭Misguided1


    It's against the rules for non SEC staff to enter room during exam, you need to get exam.room number and report directly to SEC, that's insanely serious. Not to mention a gdpr breach if exam invigilator gave info to principal.

    What information could have been shared with the principal that would constitute a breach of GDPR? Just out of curiosity


  • #51
    ANXIOUS
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭ANXIOUS


    Misguided1 wrote: »
    It's against the rules for non SEC staff to enter room during exam, you need to get exam.room number and report directly to SEC, that's insanely serious. Not to mention a gdpr breach if exam invigilator gave info to principal.

    What information could have been shared with the principal that would constitute a breach of GDPR? Just out of curiosity

    None, it's the new version of people quoting made up health and safety "laws".


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  • #52
    Aquals
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 244 ✭✭Aquals


    Have to agree there - there’s been no breach of GDPR. Anything the principal could have found out while in the room, he knows already.

    There’s only been a breach of state exams commission rules, it seems.


  • #53
    Teach30
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 539 ✭✭✭Teach30


    judeboy101 wrote: »
    It's against the rules for non SEC staff to enter room during exam, you need to get exam.room number and report directly to SEC, that's insanely serious. Not to mention a gdpr breach if exam invigilator gave info to principal.


    It’s not against the rules, school authorities may enter the exam Hall if requested by by superintendent.
    Terrible situation for students and superintendent to be in.


  • #54
    is_that_so
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,132 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so


    GooglePlus wrote: »
    What a horrible person to do that to a young lad/lass during their exams.

    Poor results reflect on the school, it has me baffled to think the principal is happy to allow all this commotion.
    It is but by LC what the principal has to say goes in one ear and out the other. You've one leg out the door!


  • #55
    is_that_so
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,132 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so


    BrianBoru00 wrote: »
    1. Construction noise in close proximity would I imagine have the noise well above the "ambient" level...so I do think its unfair on the students.

    2. Principal has behaved despicably and incompetently

    3. I know parents are stressed but you need to stop with all this most important exam in their lives crack. There's always next year, and the year after. A college degree is pretty vital nowadays BUT it doesn't have to be got immediately - plenty of very successful people I've worked with had no degree until well into their careers, or had a mediocre degree and later got a masters and or PhD.
    I'm not having a go a the parents posting on here but the reason its" the most stressful exam" is because of the pressure being put on by media > encouraged by parents who are stressed > impacting on students who are stressed.

    The Leaving cert is a right of passage but unless parents of students impress upon them that the sun will still rise in the morning we as a society can't really combat all the stress and "mental health issues" that are seemingly on the increase

    I agree with a lot of this. The principal, nobody has control over except the principal. I can't help feeling that there is still a lot of helicoptering going on around the LC in particular, unquestionably in the completely irrelevant JC. Sure you want them to do well and get the best possible chance but they are all of 17/18 and such pressure does not sit well at any age.

    Failure to achieve may be an outcome but even where it's not, a whole tranche of them are going to muck up college, either permanently or for a few years. They may muck up in real life but it will be put down to things that happen in life. No harm in some parents reminding themselves that the LC too is one of those things in life.


  • #56
    judeboy101
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,246 ✭✭✭judeboy101


    Misguided1 wrote: »
    It's against the rules for non SEC staff to enter room during exam, you need to get exam.room number and report directly to SEC, that's insanely serious. Not to mention a gdpr breach if exam invigilator gave info to principal.

    What information could have been shared with the principal that would constitute a breach of GDPR? Just out of curiosity

    I'm assuming the principal asked the invigilator to point out the students who complained. Invigilator had data (complaints) and gave that data with identification to a 3rd party without consent. That's a breach.


  • #57
    Dial Hard
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 15,331 ✭✭✭✭Dial Hard


    judeboy101 wrote: »
    I'm assuming the principal asked the invigilator to point out the students who complained. Invigilator had data (complaints) and gave that data with identification to a 3rd party without consent. That's a breach.

    No it's not. Not even remotely.

    Jesus pleasus, will people give over with the GDPR nonsense. Knowledge =/= data. And not all data falls under the aegis of GDPR.


  • #58
    judeboy101
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,246 ✭✭✭judeboy101


    Dial Hard wrote: »
    No it's not. Not even remotely.

    Jesus pleasus, will people give over with the GDPR nonsense. Knowledge =/= data. And not all data falls under the aegis of GDPR.

    Man tells his doctor he has a sore toe, next day man in tesco and tannoy announces will all those with sore toes make themselves known, mans doctor who also happens to be in tesco points at him and says " he has a sore toe", is that not a breach of gdpr?


  • #59
    gordongekko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,299 ✭✭✭gordongekko


    judeboy101 wrote: »
    I'm assuming the principal asked the invigilator to point out the students who complained. Invigilator had data (complaints) and gave that data with identification to a 3rd party without consent. That's a breach.

    Waiter. Chef we'd a compliant about the meal.
    Chef. Which meal?
    Waiter. Cant tell you GDPR :rolleyes:


  • #60
    .......
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,048 ✭✭✭.......


    "Hello Mrs O Reilly".

    Ouch - GDPR breach for saying a persons name (personal data) right there in public with other people listening!!!


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  • #61
    Jupiter Mulligan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 525 ✭✭✭Jupiter Mulligan


    ClonNGB wrote: »
    A quick update from students. English paper II started yesterday with diggers in full flow. Some students raised their hands to complain about the clatter outside. Next thing the principal arrived in and asked for whoever complained to be pointed out (exam numbers not names on desk, so they had to be pointed out like criminals), so they were pointed out and the principal and one of the teachers interrupted the exam of those students. They were humiliated inside in the exam hall and in the case of my offspring, failed to complete the paper on-time. Shortly after, the noise stopped (I presume with a call from Athlone), and today the activity on site stopped once the exam started. Athlone have someone there today on-site. It is not the digger I driver I blame here, but the principal who in my mind should not have been allowed in to the exam once it started.

    Just to confirm, the said school has a female principal? Initials AD?


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