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  • 13-02-2021 8:55pm
    #1
    jumpguy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,962 ✭✭✭


    I did my leaving cert 10 years ago now. Back then, there was a lot more chat on this forum and it is disconcerting to see that boards seems to host a lot less teenagers and school-age people in general than I think it had at the turn of the last decade. I don't know if people now go elsewhere - maybe reddit or something, but I do hope leaving cert/young people forums are alive and well somewhere. I think social media might ironically confine people to their locality and stop people communicating online and meeting strangers. Maybe that's a complete "boomer" thing to say, now though - I've no idea. The world has changed incredibly fast online and offline in 10 years and I really can't keep up.

    One thing that seemed to stay the same until covid was the leaving cert. It is amazing how little really has changed since I did my exam in 2011. Teachers still talk about "completing curricula" in the media. There still is this idea that a student needs to be physically "taught" a lot of facts (this gets shattered apart when/if you go to college and have to find out your own facts and decide what to put time into, and indeed for the rest of your life).

    I was wondering what do people think of the current covid restrictions and how it's affecting school/your leaving cert? What the feck is the latest "thing" in terms of meeting people online and discussing sh*te like exams? How did you feel about the predicted grades thing, and how would you feel if it came in again this year?

    This forum and others were a large part in my decision making when I did my LC and also an access to information, attitudes and discussions which were not available in my school and locality. I think it was the beginning of a lot of good luck, and I hope leaving certers around the country today still have similar opportunities to escape from whatever perceived confines they have on their ambitions in Ballymacwherever.

    Do you think the internet broadens your horizons and access to opinion or brings more stress/social pressure to your life than it's worth?


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    #2
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,108 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    jumpguy wrote: »
    Teachers still talk about "completing curricula" in the media.

    That is what teachers are employed to do. Cover the syllabus, try to encourage students to find out more about things, not because 'it will come up on the exam', but to know more, to be an educated person. Teachers are not employed to prepare students for exams, not make up grades, nothing to do with exams. If there were no exams at all, teachers are employed to cover the syllabus.

    This is in my opinion where the LC has gone wrong. Less about being educated now and all about passing the exams. If it's not on the exam, don't bother learning about it. Regular posters will know where I place the blame for that.


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    #3
    Mr Rhode Island Red
    Registered Users Posts: 746 ✭✭✭Mr Rhode Island Red


    Ya it's mad how quiet this place has gotten. I just stopped in for the craic. Hardly use boards at all now. I did my LC in 2017 and that was kinda the last big group of students regularly posting. There was maybe 20 or 30 of us in total. Wonder what they're all up to now.

    But ya it's mad to look back even further than that and see some years filling 2 or 3 threads to capacity with several thousand posts in the space of 9 months or so.


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    #4
    Dave1711
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭Dave1711


    Honestly i don't think a lot of the younger generation don't even know Boards exists tbh its just not advertised at least I've never seen it anywhere anyway even on adverts.ie you don't see it mentioned.


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    #5
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,108 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    I think the 'instant response' of Whatsapp and other platforms are more attractive to younger folk.


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    #6
    Dave1711
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭Dave1711


    spurious wrote: »
    I think the 'instant response' of Whatsapp and other platforms are more attractive to younger folk.

    I wouldn't say so tbh look how popular reddit is and its just a different spin on your classic internet forum and most subreddits have a pretty young age group.

    Think Boards could still be hugely popular tbh if some effort was put in at the top level. Especially in the current climate.

    Making an official app would go a long ways to making it popular again most teens are on their phone not on a pc


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