Leaving Cert student had to sit exam three hours after appendix was removed

A Leaving Certificate student has described as "inhumane" having to sit an exam just hours after surgery.

18-year-old Amy Richards from Wexford has written to the Irish Times outlining her experience.

She said she took English Paper 1 just three hours after surgery to remove her appendix, after a request to sit the exam in July was refused.

According to the paper, a statement from the State Examinations Commission said a comprehensive review of how best to support students is scheduled.

New measures were introduced to help students who suffer a bereavement to sit exams in July.

Speaking to Beat News, Amy said she feels there is a lot of pressure put on students around exam time.

She said: "I was more preoccupied with the exams than I was with how I felt or my own health which, looking back, shocked me a little bit and I think that says a lot about our education system, that students are a lot more concerned about their exams."

She told the Irish Times: “I have no idea what I wrote, I don’t know if it was complete gibberish.

“During English paper 2 and maths paper 1 the nausea was horrific."

"The exams were interrupted on numerous occasions so I could receive pain medication and have my drip changed.

“I was trying to write but all I could think about was getting sick. I had to end both exams early and ended up on the bathroom floor getting sick.”