Does the Leaving Certificate Examination place too much stress on final year students?
On the day 66,000 Leaving Certificate students receive their examination results, preliminary analysis shows a widening gap between academically minded students who did well and those taking ordinary level subjects, who did worse.
There was also a worrying failure rate in Irish, with a quarter of those sitting the pass exam failing it.
Nevertheless, there are scenes of jubilation as the Class of '95 at the Donahies Community School in north Dublin receive their results. Some of those collecting results are already planning to repeat their Leaving Certificate.
An increasing number of students are chasing third level places and are caught up in the points race. Regardless of whether their points get them the courses they want, many Donahies students do not think the Leaving Certificate examinations reflect their overall ability.
Your whole life is decided in seven days.
For one student, the Leaving Certificate is just part of what is needed to get a job, as further skills are required.
You have to get out there into the world.
Donahies Community School headmaster Pat Hickey agrees the exams are no longer a stepping stone to employment. Most students tend to specialise after the Leaving Certificate, through Post Leaving Cert (PLC), university or Regional Technical College (RTC) courses.
He thinks the Leaving Certificate, with its reliance on final examinations, leads to increased stress for final-year students.
In some ways, the pressure of Leaving Cert does train you for the pressures of life, there is that to it, but for some, it is quite unfair.
Pat Hickey approves of the wider range of courses on the Leaving Certificate curriculum, giving some of his students the opportunity to excel in engineering and building construction.
This episode of 'Prime Time' was broadcast on 17 August 1995. The reporter is Ingrid Miley.
