Children in care homes sit exams

The Child and Family Agency, Tusla, has said 11 students in different residential care settings are sitting the state examinations this month.

As thousands of students around the country take a weekend break from the rigours of the examinations, Tusla said that some teenagers in special-care or high-support units were sitting the exams on site.

A Tusla spokesman said that the Ballydowd Special Care Unit in Dublin was accommodating eight young people sitting the Junior Cert examination.

“The exams are held in designated examination centres and are supervised by the state examinations-appointed superintendents,” the spokesman said.

Last year, four students sat the Junior Certificate in Ballydowd, which has a maximum capacity of 10 people.

One young person is sitting the Junior Cert at Coovagh House Special Care Unit, where the exam takes place in the gym area on the site and is supervised by the State Examinations appointed superintendents.

At the Crannóg Nua High Support Unit, two students are sitting the Junior Cert examination, and this is also taking place in the school.

A Cork teenager was due to sit his Junior Cert examinations in the Oberstown centre for juvenile offenders in Dublin following a court appearance earlier this week.

The teenager was remanded in detention last weekend having been brought before a special sitting of Cork district court following a violent incident in which it was alleged he produced a knife in an argument with his mother.

The court heard that management at Oberstown had given assurances that any student who had been registered to sit the Junior Certificate would be facilitated in taking the exam while in detention.