Student scribes to make headlines
While most of the transition- year students at St Coleman’s College in Midleton, East Cork, tell their English teacher Trish Carlos they read a newspaper, it is mainly from the television or radio that they get information on current affairs.
Most of those who do pick up a paper say they go to the sports pages first. David O’Reilly has been doing his work experience at a paper in the town and thinks he might have a go at a sports journalism career.
#edchatie Here's a quick link to my interview with George Hook on Junior Cert reform http://t.co/4dWbHY0t
— Evelyn O'Connor (@evelynoconnor) October 4, 2012
But the students will all have a chance to write articles or submit pictures as part of a competition running under the ongoing Press Pass initiative.
As part of the scheme, the National Newspapers of Ireland, of which the Irish Examiner is a member, has been sending free newspapers to transition-year classes across the country over the past fortnight, to allow students learn about news, features, comment, and sport.
Junior cert reform appears to be lowering education system to the lowest common denominator. Will have to reserve judgement.
— Sarah (@sorsas) October 4, 2012
As they covered the features section of the Press Pass booklet in class, Ms Carlos asked if any of the students might consider writing an opinion piece about the planned reforms of the Junior Certificate announced yesterday by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn.
After a chorus of “who?” from half the class, she explained the gruelling 11 exams that most of them sat last June might be a thing of the past. But what about the idea of their own teachers marking the exams?
“Won’t some schools give their fellas better marks to make the teachers look better?” asked one teenager.
“I don’t think it should be their own teachers correcting them, they might be biased,” said another.
But there was unanimous support for more continuous assessment, rather than last-minute cramming for the exams.
“It was my parents made me study all that week, it’s not right to do three years’ work in one week,” said one diligent student.
* How many subjects must a student take for the new qualification?
Most students will take between eight and 10 full subjects. A maximum of four short courses, each one equating to half a subject, can be included.
* When does it all begin?
The phased arrangements mean first-year students in Sept 2014 will be certified in English in 2017. Courses in Irish, science and business studies will be added a year later. For first-years in 2015, art, craft, design; modern languages; home economics; music; and geography — will be included.
The final phase will see the inclusion of maths, technology subjects, religious education, Jewish studies, classics and history.
* Who will set and correct the exams?
Schools will be able to devise their own short courses or use those designed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. The assessment of these and of portfolios of schoolwork for core subjects — done in second- and third-year — is to be assessed in schools, by students’ own teachers.
* So what is new about the minister’s plans?
He has decided that the final written exam in all subjects, which will be worth 60% of total marks, are also now to be corrected by teachers as part of their assessment of students. They will continue to be set in the first few years by the State Examination Commission, which will also correct English, Irish and maths papers for a transition period.
* Will they still be taken in June?
Only the English, Irish and maths papers. The rest will be taken during school time in May of third year.
* What about subject levels and grades?
Only English, Irish and maths will be examined at higher and ordinary levels, the rest will be a common level award. Instead, of As, Bs and Cs, the following awards will be made:
* Not achieved (0%-39%);
* Achieved (40%-54%);
* Achieved with merit (55%-74%);
* Achieved with higher merit (75%-89%);
* Achieved with distinction (90%-100%).
* But what’s to stop teachers or schools ramping up the grades of their students?
The department has promised there will be “quality assurance”, with “clear and unambiguous standards” for assessment of students and their work. There will be a link to national and international standards and one possibility is that an external expert could be drafted in to monitor assessments.
* What’s in it for students who typically struggle academically?
Under Priority Learning Units, it is hoped the learning and accreditation needs of students with learning disabilities will be met, including social and life skills as well as numeracy and literacy skills.
— Niall Murray and Noel Baker
So my German teacher, who convinced me to drop down to pass, does *she* correct my work? Keep me "connected" with learning? #juniorcert
— Norman Wyse (@normanwyse) October 4, 2012
* Read more:
Applied task-based assessment furthers pupils’ learning
Shake-up to cost €10m per year to implement
Student scribes to make headlines
Students and parents welcome reform of exam
Quinn: Radical reforms will end ‘teaching to the test’
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