Irish Examiner view: Leaving Cert is now effectively an entrance test for college
'It would be better if universities ran a standardised entrance exam of their own... and let secondary schools focus on providing a rounded education.' Picture: iStock
At 2pm yesterday, the Central Applications Office (CAO) offers of third-level college places became available. More than the Leaving Certificate examination itself, perhaps, those offers can be seen as the culmination of years of education for the thousands looking to secure a place in higher education.
That made this week’s call to change the points system all the more timely.
Jess Casey reported in the 'Irish Examiner' that significant organisations have banded together to do so: The Irish Second Level Students Union, the National Parents Council, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland, the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, and the Children’s Rights Alliance are seeking urgent reform of the CAO points system.
The reasons behind their call for reform will be familiar, ranging from the anxiety for students facing a single examination at the end of their schooldays to the lack of recognition of qualities in a child which do not correspond precisely to Leaving Certificate subjects.
The most telling indictment, however, may be the description of the Leaving Certificate as “a university entrance exam that is masquerading as the Senior Cycle” — one which is difficult to gainsay.
As a means to stream students aiming for university or college, the Leaving Certificate has its defenders, who see its anonymity and universality as resistant to bias and favouritism. It can also be viewed as an impartial alternative to project-based grades and continuous assessment.
However, the basic issue raised by this call for reform is undeniable: The Leaving Certificate points system means the examination itself is a de facto university entrance test.
If students’ school experience is oriented towards a set of examinations which stream them for third level, then that is long-term cramming, but it is not education.
It would be better if universities ran a standardised entrance examination of their own, along the lines of the old matriculation test, and let secondary schools focus on providing a rounded education.
Last week we reported that the chief executive of Cork University Hospital, Jennifer Kearney, had written to the Health Service Executive expressing serious concerns about safety at the hospital.
Ms Kearney pointed out that the hospital was short more than 1,000 staff and called for a derogation of employment restrictions ahead of winter, saying: “We should not wait for a patient safety incident to demonstrate that the current position is unsafe.”
Ms Kearney’s views were subsequently endorsed by senior members of staff at CUH, such as clinical directors and consultants.
Yesterday, health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said that when Ms Kearney’s comments became public she had checked with the National Patient Safety Office for markers showing an unsafe environment.
She added: “I am happy to reassure that we have not seen any such increase, nor have we had communication to the National Patient Safety Office or to Hiqa [Health Information and Quality Authority] about safety concerns.”
Readers will immediately see the issue with the minister’s comments.
Ms Kearney’s letter to the HSE stated that there should be no need to wait for a patient incident to indicate an unsafe situation; she did not say that such incidents are already occurring. The minister’s response about the lack of incidents does not address that basic point.
It will not be at all reassuring for anyone attending, or planning to attend, CUH to read the minister’s comments on the hospital’s performance either.
She compared CUH to University Hospital Limerick, for instance, pointing out that the latter hospital had stayed within its budget. Last week, however, patient advocates called for Department of Health funding to tackle overcrowding at UHL as a “matter of urgency” to protect patient safety.
The lack of reassurance is not the only concern raised by the minister’s comments: She left little room for meaningful engagement on the issues raised by Ms Kearney’s letter.
If the latter’s concerns are not addressed, one of our largest hospitals may be unsafe this winter, and constructive discussions to avoid that situation are needed urgently.
The whole country, if not the entire planet, is now aware of the loss of Dolly Parton, who died earlier this week. She was 80.
In a music career that stretched back to the 1960s, Parton enjoyed huge success, selling over 100m records including a string of popular hits such as , , and , appearing in movies and TV shows, collecting multiple awards, and generally becoming the embodiment of a national, if not an international, treasure.
Parton’s popularity went far beyond music.
She founded Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which has enrolled more than 850,000 children across the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Ireland.
In February 2018, she donated her 100 millionth free book to the library.
She funded medical centres, donated $1m to covid vaccine research, and raised money for the victims of various disasters in the US.
Dolly Parton always seemed to make the right choice. The American Federation of Musicians, a professional musicians’ union, said this week she was a member of its Nashville branch for 58 years, and filed union contracts for her recording sessions, gigs, and tours.
That meant those musicians’ work was formally covered under union agreements, with pension contributions, benefits, and other workplace protections.
The federation said she had “set the gold standard” in terms of supporting other musicians. It was true of her in every context.
Rest in peace.
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