To: Minister McHugh
Please don’t postpone the Leaving Cert for so long
Don’t postpone the Leaving Cert longer than 2-3 weeks. Minister McHugh, having a son or daughter studying for the LC in confinement is hard, but it somehow gives structure to their day. They have remained focused, unable to have a social life, and it will be hard to maintain that momentum for such a long time as has been proposed. As the concerned parent of an LC student, and after discussing it with other parents in the same situation, I am asking you to consider postponing them for 2-3 weeks instead or, if arrived the time that was deemed impossible, to consider using the predicted results.
Why is this important?
It has been difficult to keep the spirits up during confinement, knowing the end of the effort wasn’t so far away, or wasted, kept the focus and the effort going. The news of the long deferral have so deflated the LC students, who were studying so hard up to now. I worry about the consequences this decision might have on their resolve up to now. It would also interfere with plans to study abroad, and would have further implications regarding college entry, after correcting time is added in. Times are tough, but there’s no need to dismantle everything and take the carpet from under their feet. College classes can be taken online, exams can be scheduled in a way that social distancing is adhered to.
