Sir, – While it’s a long time since I sat my Leaving Certificate, I still have the memories and sometimes the nightmares. However, what has persisted to this day has been the practice of the general results being released to the media ahead of the students receiving their individual marks. I cannot understand how the general trends are not embargoed till either the day after the results or at a minimum, the lunchtime news on the day, so students don’t have to wake up to the 7am chorus of “10 per cent failed maths”.
I think it’s deeply unfair to the students and dismisses their great personal efforts on what is already a stressful day. In the meantime, I wish all students well and hope they achieve what they dream for. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The failure rate in Leaving Certificate maths should not come as a surprise. In an article by your Education Editor, Seán Flynn (“How Quinn can make a difference”, March 15th), it was revealed that, of those teaching maths at second level, 48 per cent were not qualified in the subject. – Yours, etc,