Irish Examiner view: Perspective is key

State exams

Leaving Cert students sat English Paper 1 yesterday. Picture: Denis Minihane

The arrival of the State examinations is heralded by various portents, from the fine weather to the sight of anxious teens carrying pencil cases and nothing else to school.

Rather than a season of mists and mellow fruitfulness — Leaving Cert English Paper 1, yesterday — it’s a season of missed breakfasts and last-ditch cramming.