Fine Gael Senator, and former TD for Cavan and Monaghan, Joe O’Reilly, has called for leaving cert reform. As a former teacher he believes the current living cert system does not prepare young people for life beyond the classroom.
He said: “Our definition of education must be expanded to encompass students’ passions for sports, music, volunteering, and other activities which contribute to their rounded personal development, reports the Sun.
“Under our current system, 100 per cent of a student’s final grades are based on academics. Yet many students spend countless hours outside of the classroom playing sports, volunteering in their local communities, learning new skills and much more, he told the Sun.
Senator O’Reilly wants 15% of the total leaving cert points allocated to students who participate in “three key areas; sports, extra-curricular activities, and social causes to include volunteering and participation in civic duties.”
We wonder how those extra non-academic points will help a student get their place in the ultra-competitive CAO university placements.
We also question if this type of “points fixing” policy will lead to greater drop-outs when students get university or college places in technical and mathematical disciplines that require high points.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.