12 students in Libya to sit Leaving Cert abroad

A DOZEN students could sit the Leaving Certificate in Ireland instead of Libya this week because of the continuing unrest in the north African country.

The International School of the Martyrs (ISM) in Tripoli has had students taking the Leaving Certificate since 1997, choosing the Irish exam over other internationally recognised tests for school leavers. The school caters mostly for the children of international diplomats in Libya and had registered 66 students to take this year’s exams.

However, given the highly unstable situation in the country, where a civil war continues and NATO air raids have been taking place since March, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) decided it will not be possible to arrange exams there this year.