Carl O'Brien

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Carl O'Brien

Second-level schools face the threat of industrial action in the autumn after the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) voted to reject a package of supports aimed at easing the roll-out of Leaving Certificate reforms. ASTI members rejected the measures by a margin of 68 per cent to 32 per cent. The turnout was 73 per cent. The vote means second level teachers are now divided after the Teachers’ Union of Ireland last week voted to accept the package.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Carl O'Brien

Phew – that was intense. The first few days of the exams really are the hardest. The weekend, thankfully, offers the chance of some much-needed respite for everyone. Leaving Cert students who sat maths paper one on Friday afternoon may well feel deflated. But remember: if it was hard for them, it was hard for lots of others too. Our live coverage of the exams on Friday includes lots of comments from students who really struggled with the content and questions.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Carl O'Brien

Students are leaving leaving exam halls after today’s Leaving Cert geography exam and the mood is upbeat. Geography students will be happy with a very fair and balanced 2025 higher-level paper, according to Dan Sheedy, geography teacher and principal of TheTuitionCentre.ie. “In physical geography, plenty of choice was available from the challenging but frequently appearing isostatic processes to the widely predicted landform of deposition which will have pleased everyone,” Mr Sheedy said.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Carl O'Brien

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has defended the inclusion of a question on short stories that sparked controversy in the Junior Cycle English paper on the basis that it was “fully within the scope” of the curriculum. In Wednesday’s Junior Cycle English exam at higher level, candidates were asked to respond to a question about “any short story they had studied”. It was worth 15 marks from a total of 180 marks for the exam.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Carl O'Brien

So, it’s day two and done. For many students, the first 48 hours of the Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert exams have been nerve-racking, energy-sapping and emotionally draining. Yet, candidates have also been getting into their stride, honing their exam technique and learning to pace themselves. The generally positive reaction to Leaving Cert English papers one and paper two has certainly helped, buoyed by the much-predicted appearance of Eavan Boland.