School exams - Credibility of system must be protected

THIS morning more than 110,000 young people begin school exams; 53,345 will sit the Leaving Certificate and 57,006 will take the Junior Certificate.

There is an increase in the number of people who chose to sit the Leaving Certificate Applied programme at 3,475, up almost 10% on 2007.

For some students the exams are no more than a milestone, for others they represent the end of their school days. For some they will be an ordeal, for others a long-dreamt-of Rubicon.