Are secondary school students being properly educated?

With the Junior Cert finishing tomorrow, Barbara Scully wonders are we educating our children or merely tutoring them to get maximum results in State exams? To find out she asks the experts.

Students across the nation can officially celebrate as tomorrow is the last exam of Junior Certificate 2014. As I write I am being a very attentive mammy as my 15-year-old Roisin tackles the juggernaut which is the examination process. It really is a juggernaut. With 11 subjects most students sit 15 exams given that English, Irish, Maths and Business all have two papers.

Like all good mammies I worry that she is stressing too much or not stressing at all. Like all good mammies I am smoothing her path along this two week marathon as I drop and collect her from school, make sure she has an adequate packed lunch (with chocolate for stress and sagging energy) and her favourite dinners in the evening. I make tea and buns and ferry them upstairs to her at 9pm when I tell her enough of the books. She seems to be working away and she is not showing any signs of being overly stressed and for that I am very grateful.