Leaving Cert: ‘Young people need space to make their own decisions’

With the first Junior and Leaving Certificate exams a little over a week away, Institute of Guidance Counsellors president Betty McLaughlin offers tips and advice for students and parents.

Students do best when parents:

• Understand the difficulties in becoming an adult in today’s world, talk and show an interest, and respect their point of view.
• Help young people to study by providing the right study conditions, free from distractions and stress.
• Encourage a young person to seek advice and information inside and outside school.
• Encourage young people to think in terms of a group of similar careers, rather than one defined area.
• With support, respect, understanding and the right atmosphere, young people can develop in an almost unbelievable way.