The Leaving and Junior Certificate examinations began today. More than 123,000 students are sitting the Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied or Junior Certificate exams. The exams are taking place in over 4,400 centres across the country and will run for thirteen days, concluding on 22 June.
It has been a tough year for most second-level students, with the majority of schools closed twelve days more than normal due to industrial disputes. The students were advised not to think about what has happened in the past eight months, but to focus on their exam papers. The exams began this morning with English.
The Minister for Education and Science, Dr Michael Woods, sent his best wishes to all students. The Minister acknowledged the year had been a difficult one for students and for all concerned in education. He said that he greatly appreciated the special efforts and dedication shown by school authorities and teachers in helping students with their final preparations for the exams.
He said that everyone who sat the exams had reached a valuable standard in life, adding that every point scored was a bonus. Psychologists advised students to remember that the exams wre never as bad as anticipated and urged them not to panic.
