Leaving Cert system may be overhauled

STUDENTS could be facing a three-year Leaving Certificate programme under a revised examination system being considered by Education Minister Noel Dempsey.

The minister is exploring ways of easing the pressure on students to cram their knowledge of most subjects into one written exam at the end of five or six years at second level.

One possibility is that the Leaving Cert could be extended from a two-year to a three-year programme.