Emer’s A1 and she’s got eight of the best to prove it

EMER McGRATH was jumping for joy yesterday after being hailed as the country’s top student with eight A1s and one A2 — but for thousands of teenagers the future was not so bright.

Minister for Education Noel Dempsey acknowledged yesterday the education system would have to be reformed to help working class students achieve their potential. He accepted the system was more helpful to middle class students. He pledged to reform the system, but declined to outline any specific measures he was planning.

While 18-year-old Emer from Ballynew in Ballinrobe on the Mayo/Galway border was planning a career in theoretical physics yesterday, thousands of other students were coming to terms with failure.