Junior Certificate Reform
The Minister for Education and Skills has announced that reforms for the Junior Certificate are “advanced”. Many students who sit the exam would agree that the current system is archaic and doesn’t meet the needs of the modern 21st Century student. At the minute the Junior Certificate doesn’t prepare students for the “real world”; nor does it focus on important issues that are relevant to student’s lives. Instead it tests a student’s ability to memorise information. Social education has been ignored and many students are not taught properly the importance of social skills, communication skills, and the danger of alcohol and drug abuse.
What is clear is that if we are to form an efficient education system that puts the student first, we need to listen to the students and see how they think the system should be reformed. One complaint of many students is that the Junior Certificate makes no impact on their lives as it is the Leaving Certificate that determines what University you enter (and ultimately what job you get). Many don’t see the importance of spending three, hard years studying for an exam that will not affect their lives, for many it is the Leaving Certificate that counts. Secondly, is it fair to test a student on their performance in a particular subject on one particular day? After all, everyone has their good days and their bad days. Thirdly, most students study ten subjects for their Junior Certificate, most of these subjects students don’t have any interest in and will never look at again after their exam is finished. We all know that if you hate a particular subject that it can be very difficult to get a good mark in it; this can affect a student’s result through no fault of their own. And how can one forget the stress associated with the current Junior Certificate. Is it right to put so much stress on a young teenager?
In recent years students, teachers and parents have come to agree that a project based system would be more efficient and would be of greater benefit to students. It would encourage students to become more involved in their learning and would greatly reduce the stress associated with the current Junior Certificate. Students could become more creative in their schoolwork and would learn far more about “real world” scenarios than they ever will under the current system. This system would be more beneficial to students, teachers and parents.
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