Your education questions answered by Brian Mooney
My son has just returned to secondary school after the summer break and, having received his Junior Certificate results, he has been advised to consider taking the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme. I am a little confused by this suggestion, as I had not been aware of the programme's existence. Do you think that it is a good option for him? He did not do particularly well in his Junior Cert and is a little crestfallen at the moment as his older sister is studying law at university.
The dilemma facing both yourself and your son is a familiar one for many students and their parents. The traditional Leaving Certificate has been the centrepiece of our terminal examination system since the foundation of the State. In recent years, the State Examinations Commission has tried to ensure that children have access to a terminal examinations programme that suits their needs.
Your son now has a choice of three Leaving Cert programmes: Leaving Certificate Applied, the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the traditional Leaving Certificate. Each one is a valid qualification recognised by employers and education institutions. Your son must choose the programme that will best suit his individual learning style, that will develop his confidence and self-esteem and that will adequately prepare him for his choice of career.
The Leaving Certificate Applied is an ideal Leaving Cert for students who wish to follow a practical or vocationally-orientated programme.
The LCA is recognised by a wide range of employers including local authorities, health boards, the civil service, Intel, Aer Lingus, banks, the Garda Síochána, ESB and FÁS. Some 3,800 students sat the LCA in 2004. This is a Leaving Cert programme that emphasises types of achievement and excellence that the established Leaving Certificate does not recognise.
The LCA uses a unique and more relevant form of assessment, suitable to changes in the requirements of the modern workplace. The students' work is assessed over the two years and they gain credits as they go along. It is possible to collect a total of 200 credits. A maximum of 62 credits are awarded for completing the required courses, 70 credits for the seven "Student Tasks" completed over the two years, and 68 credits for the examinations at the end of year two. It is possible to have accumulated enough credits to achieve a pass in the Leaving Certificate Applied before sitting the final written exams.
The LCA is awarded at three levels: pass - 120 to 139 credits; merit - 140 to 169 credits; distinction - 170 to 200 credits. Students who accumulate fewer than 60 credits will receive a Record of Experience. This is of enormous benefit to those students whose performance in final written exams does not reflect their commitment, talents and hard work over a two-year period. Practicals, interviews and final written exams are among the different forms of assessment used. The student's communication, problem-solving and practical skills are also assessed. Students mature and grow in confidence as they progress through the programme.
Courses are offered in three main areas, vocational preparation, which focuses on preparation for work, work experience, enterprise and communications. General education gives students general life skills in the arts, social education, leisure and languages. Vocational education offers students a wide choice of specialist areas such as graphics and construction studies, tourism, craft and design, business engineering and technology.
Students can proceed to further education through the vast majority of Post-Leaving Certificate courses. This is their entry path to third-level education.
Direct access to third-level education through the CAO system is not possible immediately on completion of the LCA. Students who complete the Leaving Certificate Applied and progress on to NCVA level 2 awards are eligible for admission to many third-level courses in the institutes of technology and to some degree programmes in the universities.
Annual surveys of LCA graduates show that on average 89% of students are employed or attending further education courses, in the year immediately following completion of LCA.
Brian Mooney is president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. E-mail questions to bmooney@irish- times.ie
