2019 LC results upset. Will anything be done?

juneg · 13-09-2020 07:59PM #1

What about the students who did their leaving cert in 2019 and found the points soared out of their reach this year?

My son is among many in this category. He was 20 points clear last year for this course and others. Took a year out to decide for sure before going to university. The points soared in 2020 on the back of the calculated grades free for all. Now he has no offer and no place where he would have easily got in last year

So now I have a 20 year old with a leaving cert that's worth sweet f.a. I'm broke from paying two years of grinds to give him the best chance I could though I could ill afford it and supporting him through a gap year much of which was spent in lockdown. The points situation next year is going to be another mess in trying to make up for this.
We don't even know if the leaving cert exams will go ahead again in 2021 or will it be calculated grades again. No point going to a grind school as they were downgraded. He can't sit the leaving this November as he wasn't a 2020 candidate.

I don't begrudge anyone their results, their college place or their good luck in this unprecedented year. But what about my son?
Are we just supposed to roll over?

In any other year a student who didn't get the points would just lick their wounds regret that they didnt make the grade and move on .

I feel that his future has been stolen from him and I am very angry.

hurleronditch · 13-09-2020 08:07PM

juneg wrote: »

What about the students who did their leaving cert in 2019 and found the points soared out of their reach this year?

My son is among many in this category. He was 20 points clear last year for this course and others. Took a year out to decide for sure before going to university. The points soared in 2020 on the back of the calculated grades free for all. Now he has no offer and no place where he would have easily got in last year

So now I have a 20 year old with a leaving cert that's worth sweet f.a. I'm broke from paying two years of grinds to give him the best chance I could though I could ill afford it and supporting him through a gap year much of which was spent in lockdown. The points situation next year is going to be another mess in trying to make up for this.
We don't even know if the leaving cert exams will go ahead again in 2021 or will it be calculated grades again. No point going to a grind school as they were downgraded. He can't sit the leaving this November as he wasn't a 2020 candidate.

I don't begrudge anyone their results, their college place or their good luck in this unprecedented year. But what about my son?
Are we just supposed to roll over?

In any other year a student who didn't get the points would just lick their wounds regret that they didnt make the grade and move on .

I feel that his future has been stolen from him and I am very angry.

I have unending sympathy for you and your son, this has been a cluster**** from start to finish. It’s like the bucket with 20 holes in it, but you only have 10 fingers to block them up, no matter what way they did it, the water will get out somewhere, several groups of people were going to be put out.

My only advice would be to see if there is another course he can do similar to what he wanted? Like if he wanted to do Civ Eng in a university is there structural eng or something similar in a nearby IT he could do, and then work hard for 2 years and look to transfer across?

Treppen · 13-09-2020 09:21PM

juneg wrote: »

What about the students who did their leaving cert in 2019 and found the points soared out of their reach this year?

My son is among many in this category. He was 20 points clear last year for this course and others. Took a year out to decide for sure before going to university. The points soared in 2020 on the back of the calculated grades free for all. Now he has no offer and no place where he would have easily got in last year

Sorry to hear that. I know the ship has sailed, but why didn't he accept the course last year then defer it to this year?

juneg · 13-09-2020 10:49PM

Treppen wrote: »

Sorry to hear that. I know the ship has sailed, but why didn't he accept the course last year then defer it to this year?

Had a different first preference last year which he did not get enough points for.
Took a year out during which another course within his points range became his first preference

Postgrad10 · 14-09-2020 08:19AM

juneg wrote: »

Had a different first preference last year which he did not get enough points for.
Took a year out during which another course within his points range became his first preference

Take those results and send them to UCAS clearing. Your son does not need to have applied to them previously. There will be a college in the UK with vacancies in similar courses. My friend did this back in 2003 and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Got in to a great reportable course in his area and never looked back.

Caryatnid · 14-09-2020 08:28AM

That's the risk he knew he was taking last year though. It is not unusual for points to vary by 20 points from year to year. The course I did actually dropped by 90 points the year I did it.

As an aside, I do think the LC situation this year was all wrong. However students need to be aware that the only CAO points that are fixed are the ones 'now' - things change year to year based in supply, demand, and performane of students.

I do have empathy for your son. His current options are: wait for a second-round offer (fingers crossed), repeat the LC in Nov, do a course abroad, get a job and reapply next year, look for other bridge courses. He will be fine.

Wombatman · 14-09-2020 09:31AM

juneg wrote: »

I feel that his future has been stolen from him and I am very angry.

I really feel for you and your son and would hate to be in your spot.

That said you really have to try to make the best of a bad situation now.

Look at all your options, courses abroad for example. Don't look for this to be solved by others, politicians etc. Go out there an find a solution yourself or at lest and acceptable work around.

Talk of stolen futures is helping nobody. I hope your son never hears such talk. He has his whole life ahead of him and when he looks back this will hopefully be insignificant.

This is a time for fight, resilience and optimism. Turn the anger into a force of action. Now get out there and turn this thing around as best you can.

Icsics · 14-09-2020 10:26AM

Have a look at the local PLCs, these can often be a route to L6 / 7/ 8

granturismo · 14-09-2020 12:54PM

juneg wrote: »

... The points soared in 2020 on the back of the calculated grades free for all. Now he has no offer and no place where he would have easily got in last year

So now I have a 20 year old with a leaving cert that's worth sweet f.a. I'm broke from paying two years of grinds to give him the best chance I could though I could ill afford it and supporting him through a gap year much of which was spent in lockdown. ...
I don't begrudge anyone their results, their college place or their good luck in this unprecedented year. But what about my son?
Are we just supposed to roll over?

In any other year a student who didn't get the points would just lick their wounds regret that they didnt make the grade and move on .

I feel that his future has been stolen from him and I am very angry.

Your son needs to take your own advice and move on. My daughter was in the same position but decided not to repeat her leaving cert, she took the year out to work at minimum wage, reassessed her CAO application and reapplied, got her second choice this year. She deferred the 2020 offer as she accepted a place abroad on a course that was her second, third and fourth choice in Irish Unis in 2019.

You dont mention what your son applied for.

He may get an offer in round 2. Did he apply for level 7 courses?

2019 LC results upset. Will anything be done?

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