Leaving Cert timetable changes aim to cut stress

LEAVING Certificate students will no longer face daily six-hour writing marathons in the first week of their exams under timetable changes confirmed yesterday by Education Minister Mary Hanafin.

The details of which subjects are being moved have not yet been finalised by the State Examinations Commission.

However, some English, Irish and maths papers are likely to be moved from the first three days, when they are traditionally held. This has seen most students have over six hours and 10 minutes of intensive writing on these days.

Schools will be notified of the changes, which may also seek to avoid popular subject combinations such as French and biology or business and history being held on the same day during the second week.

Ms Hanafin suggested the rescheduling of exams in the first week will allow students to take a mix of examinations each day.

These would incorporate, for example, subjects that require essay-type answers and subjects that demand a mathematical or scientific perspective.

Ms Hanafin said having exams with two papers taken by high numbers of students at the start of the written timetable has long been a source of increased demand on students.

“The changes I’m introducing for 2008 will make the early days of the timetable more student-friendly by reducing the writing load and the time spent in the exam hall.”

However, her plans to hold the first written English paper on a Saturday in May are on hold for at least another year and are still under discussion

between the exam commission, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) and the three main school management bodies.

Most of these groups, particularly the TUI and Joint Managerial Body (JMB) representing boards of almost 400 religious-run schools, have reservations about the plans. They have cited possible disruption to other students by the setting up of exam halls during class time, changes to student preparations and availability of staff to open schools at the weekend as barriers to the idea.

The reforms announced yesterday were welcomed by ASTI which has also proposed that there would be rest sessions for almost all students by incorporating a mix of minority subjects during the initial period of the State exams.

JMB general secretary Ferdia Kelly said the changes would help reduce pressure on students, particularly in the stressful first few days of the Leaving Certificate.

“We will continue to work with the [commission] and the minister to alleviate demands faced by students in any way we can,” he said.

TUI welcomed the changes but said it still has significant concerns while the Irish Vocational Education Association, whose member VECs manage a third of all second-level schools, said the timetable changes were an important first step in overhauling the exam timetable.