Two teacher unions have reiterated a call for oral Leaving Certificate examinations to be held once again during term time as opposed to the Easter break.
The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) and the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland, (ASTI) said they were endorsing recent calls from the Irish Second Level Students Union (ISSU) and Irish language subject association An Gréasán, both of whom are also seeking a reversion to pre-pandemic timetabling for these exams.
The unions said teachers had agreed to the holding of oral examinations at Easter on an exceptional basis during the Covid-19 emergency, but since then they had consistently advocated for a return to the pre-pandemic status quo.
They said they agreed with the view expressed by the ISSU that students needed the Easter holidays to take a break.
"The clear feedback from all in school communities is that rather than alleviating pressure on students, the holding of oral examinations at Easter time increases pressure, particularly for those taking more than one oral examination in this short time period", the unions said in a joint statement.
The TUI and the ASTI said holding the tests during the Easter holidays is having a detrimental impact on the well-being of students who are missing out on the collegiality and camaraderie normally available around the time of this high-pressure examination.
They said supports available during term time were not accessible over Easter and this was leading to some students feeling overwhelmed.
"The Easter break is an important time for students to take a step back and take stock of where they are in their preparations for the Leaving Certificate Examinations," ASTI President Geraldine O’Brien said.
"They also need a break before the final push to June and we fully support their call for a restoration of that break."
TUI President David Waters said in a survey of TUI members, 84% of respondents had said they wished to see the examinations take place in the established pre-Covid-19 manner.
"Clearly, students who have to undertake more than one oral examination during this short time period are now experiencing significant pressure, as the oral examinations previously took place over a longer time frame."
