Listen to us about hybrid model, we're the ones doing the Leaving Cert exam, says student

Saoirse Brazil Karney is a Leaving Certificate pupil at Cork Educate Together Secondary School. Here she explains why she feels students deserve a hybrid examination model 

'Michael Martin is a former secondary school teacher, he should understand where the students of Ireland are coming from and that we are literally pleading with the Government to at least meet us halfway.'

For some students across Ireland, the thoughts of a hybrid Leaving Cert first came into consideration back in 2020/2021. Students like me even had to repeat fifth year because Covid had so badly affected our lives and even now, we find ourselves in the same position, with all the uncertainty the government and the unions are creating. It’s as if one doesn’t know what the other is doing with all the "Will there and won’t there be a Leaving Cert" talk in the media. Students, like myself, are missing up to nearly 50% in our exams because we cannot submit project work within the deadlines in subjects like geography, history, home economics and P.E.

Students’ anxiety rates have skyrocketed because of the pressure being put on us. It’s just unspeakable, no student should have to go through this. Difficulties include teachers being absent for a long period time and then we, the students, must try our best to understand a new topic without a teacher present.