Making the grade in life, as well as in State exams

This week, more than 59,000 students will begin the long nine-month trek to the Leaving Certificate exam, summiting in mid June. For many, this test of endurance and resilience will lead toexhaustion, mental health issues and burnout.

But it really doesn’t have to be like that. And as parents, we have to help our children manage the sinuous road to the exams. I often here parents describe the house in terms of ‘eggshells’ and being a ‘tense place,’ where all conversations are about the exam and getting a place on a desired course. And I often wonder how can a student study with such pressure on them.