Learning at the coalface – how young people view the education system

In the first part of our series on education in Ireland, Jennifer Horgan gets the views of six students on the school system in this country

After having spent a year out of education altogether due to bullying, Emma Heffernan moved to the Cork Life Centre in Cork City where she feels really supported. Picture: Jim Coughlan

Rumblings of educational reform in Ireland have been felt for well over a decade now. This week, in part one of a series on the education system in Ireland, Jennifer Horgan hears from the epicentre of the system, the students themselves.

Kacper Bogalecki moved from Poland to Ireland when he was 12 years old. He landed in an all-boys school, St Brendan’s College Killarney.

“I spoke English to an extent as I had attended an English school in Greece and due to my age, I got an Irish exemption. This was really helpful; it meant I had learning support on my timetable and in that time I got to concentrate on English.

“The Leaving Cert is like any kind of matriculation – it’s stressful and difficult. I’m relieved to see the recent reforms because I don’t think that everything should depend on one exam. I really appreciate how many languages are offered here and Polish is now offered as a curricular subject. 

Kacper Bogalecki: 'The Leaving Cert is like any kind of matriculation – it’s stressful and difficult.'

“It’s not available in my school but my teachers and my principal have supported me in my study of the subject. They help me to understand the curriculum; they help me with resources, and they have made connections with other people studying the subject in Ireland.

“Overall, I’ve had a really good experience in my school and I’m very grateful for all the extra-curricular opportunities I’ve received.” 

Emma Heffernan found school difficult having been bullied for the first three years of secondary school. She spent one year out of education completely. This all changed when she moved to the Life Centre in Cork.

“Most of my experiences were bad before coming here. I was bullied and I didn’t get on well with my teachers. I suffered from panic attacks and anxiety. My teachers put it all down to bad behaviour, but I wasn’t in a place where I could learn; I needed to concentrate on other things before I could get there.

Emma Heffernan: 'I also like that the system is moving away from one big exam.' Picture: Jim Coughlan

“In the Life Centre, I feel really supported. There’s always someone to talk to. Every student has something going on, so everyone is kind. Nobody shouts at you for being late or for needing a bit of time. Here, you get to focus on your interests. 

“I’m studying seven subjects for the Leaving Cert. I love learning but I find languages difficult and sometimes I get overwhelmed, but I’ve learned not to put too much pressure on myself. I also like that the system is moving away from one big exam. I like the practical sides of subjects.” 

Jamie Mac Giolla Bháin hopes to study medicine in university. He thinks Ireland’s broad choice of subjects is a huge positive and welcomes the changes made to papers this year in recognition of the impact of Covid-19 

“I attend an all-boys school in Monaghan. We have a great range of subjects. However, there needs to be more standardisation across the country because often a school won’t offer the subject you want. I’m taking Politics and Society outside school for instance. 

It also bothers me that we don’t get the option to study subjects like home economics, possibly because we’re in an all-boys school.

“I think some of the changes that have been made to exams recently should be carried forward. I’m aware that the exams I’ll sit this summer are completely different to exams a few years ago. I will have fewer questions and fewer surprises. I also wonder why only Higher Maths gets extra points; I think a student should get recognition for any subject they’re brilliant at. 

“I think fewer subjects would also help students. I know I want to study medicine and yet I’m having to do exams in a whole bunch of subjects I won’t ever need.” 

Emily Gaines is completing transition year in Temple Carrig School, Greystones, Co  Wicklow. She loves the broad range of subjects she gets an opportunity to study and lauds the short courses in Junior Cycle and the extra-curricular opportunities at TY.

“I think there’s a lot of pressure on students here and that affects mental health. This was especially true during Covid-19. Having transition year is a great break and it’s nice to have a gap year before leaping into the high intensity of senior cycle. 

"This year we have gone on trips, and I’ve also had the opportunity to learn about songwriting, music performance and politics. I plan to take politics and society for the Leaving Cert.

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“I receive a very good education and my school is very inclusive. I really liked the short courses on offer at junior cycle. I took philosophy which links nicely to Politics and Society at senior cycle. I also studied advanced maths. Other subjects on offer were drama and creative writing.

“I feel alright about the Leaving Cert because I know I’ll get to choose the subjects I most enjoy so I’m happy enough with that.” 

Eoin Connolly is a sixth-year student in Villiers, a private mixed school in Co Limerick. He says although he’s against private schools in principle, sometimes, there’s a place for them in practice.

“The reason I go to Villiers is because I’m autistic and I also have a diagnosis of ADHD. The class sizes are really good in my school and there are a lot of SEN supports also. We should absolutely criticise private schools, but we must remember every private school is different: in an ideal world we wouldn’t have them but until the public system can consistently provide for students’ needs in the way some private schools are for some students, I wouldn’t tear them down overnight.

“I think the move away from one big exam is a good thing but how they do it will be important. For example, they tried to do it at Junior Cycle but in many of those assessments, the final marks were mainly based on our written reflections rather than the actual projects. 

"It’s no help to students like me. My main issue is in structuring answers. There are also bigger blind spots when it comes to the curriculum and how it takes autistic students into consideration. I study music and I know of students with sensory sensitivities, such as those that are autistic, that have had to leave the room when they play one of the songs on the course: ‘Seachanges’ by Raymond Deane. 

“It’s bad for the exam as it is extremely high pitched and dissonant and ignores the sensory issues experienced by autistic students.”

Anna Ring is in sixth year in St Aloysius all-girls school in Carrigtwohill. She hopes to study speech and language Therapy, but the points have gone up in recent years and there are only 30 places available.

“I love my school. We had nine online lessons a day during lockdown so we didn’t fall behind at all but I’m aware of other schools that did a lot less and now those students are struggling. My sister started in first year last September and the school kept them at home for a day for online learning, just so they’d be prepared if it ever happened again.

“The Leaving Cert is unfair because points are soaring and even though someone would be great in a job, they might not get into the course they want. PLC courses are a great way around that, but a lot of people wouldn’t go near them because of how they’ve been taught to look at them. There’s a real snobbery.

“At school, we all know we’re in competition with each other. We joke about it, and it pushes us on, but it’s pretty toxic when you think about it.”