Sir, – While Breda O’Brien makes some excellent points around the danger of the proposed reforms of the Leaving Certificate (“Botched Leaving Cert reform is worse than no reform”, Opinion & Analysis, I September 3rd), it seems unlikely that there is any political will to push against the proposed changes. Like many such decisions, the overriding principle seems to be that if those affected have little or no voice, it’s perfectly fine.
In this instance, those affected include, once again, male students, with experts warnings the changes will greatly disadvantage this group. We already saw during the predicted grades process that the department was quite happy to have a process that introduced expected and acknowledged gender biases against this group.
At the time, it was noted this this bias would not be corrected for reasons including that to do so would effect other commitments made around the process. Given the results will effect the future educational and career choices of those impacted, this group was effectively sacrificed to avoid upsetting the apple cart. It appears they will now again suffer a similar fate in the name of “early wins”, as one official has described it.
Most groups in such a scenario would expect to have advocates fighting their corner. Indeed, before predicted grades were introduced, there were a great many such advocates given air-time in the media to argue for their groups, presumably successfully, given those commitments the Minister made. One wonders then when a similar commitment to not further disadvantage male students will be forthcoming from the Minister? – Yours, etc,
Shooting the breeze with trailblazer chemists
Kamala Harris is a descendant of an Irish slave owner in Jamaica
Tactical analysis: Clare got their numbers right, but it’s hard to measure sheer magic
Artist and shepherd Orla Barry: ‘Breeding animals is like making an artwork. You’re putting certain animals together’
ALBERT WINSTON,
Glasnevin,
Dublin 11.