The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has congratulated students on their Junior Certificate/Cycle results and urged them to now complete a Leaving Certificate programme.
The union has pointed to the breadth of options available such as the Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Vocational programme and Leaving Certificate Applied.
TUI has encouraged students to be responsible in their celebrations.
TUI President Joanne Irwin offered the following comments on various aspects of today’s results.
Congratulations!
‘All students receiving their results should be proud of their achievements today, and teachers should take credit for delivering a quality education at a time of funding cuts and the curtailment of supports for students.
We would also like to pay particular tribute to parents and guardians for their unwavering support of children in what can often be a stressful time.
Junior Cycle English
The results for Junior Cycle English are based on a new subject specification and assessment and grading system and we commend students and teachers on their application and dedication throughout the transition process. In this regard, the high number of students taking the Higher Level option is encouraging. Along with other education partners, TUI representatives will continue to analyse English and other subject areas to see what – if any – adjustments may need to be made in the future.
Every student should continue to complete Leaving Certificate
For a variety of educational, economic, social and even health reasons, every student should continue to Senior Cycle to complete one of the Leaving Certificate options. In this regard, no two learners are the same and access to alternative options such as Leaving Certificate Vocational and the Leaving Certificate Applied programmes should continue to be provided and, where possible, expanded.
Choosing subjects – guidance counselling must be fully restored
In many cases, focus will now turn to finalising subject choices for the Leaving Certificate. If I could give one simple piece of advice to students in this regard it would be to choose areas that they are most interested in and that really engage them.
It is regrettable that guidance counselling provision in schools has not been fully restored to its pre-cut levels. This service must be fully restored as soon as is possible to allow students to make the most informed subject choices.
Enjoy the celebrations, but be sensible
Students have worked hard and should enjoy their celebrations. However, they should do so responsibly and not put the wellbeing of themselves or others at risk.’