Sir Anthony Seldon, who has written biographies of the past six British prime ministers and is working on a biography (thin book?) of Liz Truss, recently wrote in The Spectator: It should be a place where they discover and celebrate what they can do, not what they can’t do. Our entire education system is currently lackluster and failing our young people, our employers, and our country. ”
Of course he’s writing about England, not Ireland, but I love the sentiment about what school should be.
In fact, I think Ireland gets some things more right than the UK. In the UK, students spend their final four years of secondary school on a relentless exam treadmill, usually culminating in three A-levels, the narrowest final exam system in any country. At the age of 16, when most young people do not yet understand where their talents and interests lie, he chooses only three subjects in which to specialize. About 25 years ago she AS levels were introduced and in her one year a student could choose four or five subjects and in the final year she could move down to three or four A levels. I did. That was an improvement, but it was thrown away and now most people are only doing her 3 subjects for the past 2 years.
One consequence of this is that creative subjects such as British music and art have suffered. If you want to do medicine, you’ll need to do biology, chemistry, and maybe math or physics. There is no room for the luxury of creative subject matter that brings balance and inspiration. Candidates for Oxbridge and Russell Group universities are told to avoid ‘soft’ subjects that suggest a lack of academic seriousness. With four or five subjects, there was room for more creative options, but with just three… forget it.
There are three things that I think Ireland gets right and that the UK can learn from.
First of all, the exam only applies to the last two years of secondary school, not the four years. Yes, junior cycle exams are important, but they don’t have the weight of expectation or pressure that GCSEs do. And of course, there is a Transition Year (TY), so a Leaving Certificate will not just be issued. This is her second difference in Ireland. It’s a great concept to give kids a year to figure out who they are without the pressure of public exams. Having done all my classroom teaching in the UK, I am a big fan of TY. At best, young people are able to experience a variety of new subjects before choosing which direction they want to go in academically. This allows teachers to go beyond the curriculum, or even outside the curriculum altogether, to pursue areas of interest that don’t have to fit into the narrow and unimaginative constraints of a scary syllabus. Her year will be filled with work experience, service work, travel, speaking, and (dare I say it) fun. Is that allowed?
[ My son wants to do transition year – but is a ‘doss year’ a good idea? ]
Thirdly, although Leaving Certificates may be quite limited in their examination methods, they allow 16-year-old students to study a wider range of subjects, keeping their options open for longer and helping them prepare for their future. will not be blocked. For most students, their interests are still in the developing stage. The German Abitur is used much more extensively and for a much longer period of time. The International Baccalaureate is broader, still very rigorous, and is becoming increasingly popular in the UK as a school that can afford to make changes. A student in the United States continues to study a wide range of subjects from high school through her first year of college, but only specializes in her second year. It also allows undergraduate students to take modules and receive credit for courses not related to their main degree. You can also indulge your interest in ancient Greece while studying astrophysics.
I think the UK three A level system dates back to a time when most subjects were worse than ‘serious subjects’ and all subjects were worse than Latin or Greek. But no one today who is trying to invent an education system will suddenly say, Let your 15-year-old and her 16-year-old choose just three subjects, even if they have no idea what they want to do in life…and be very happy to help them do creative subjects. Let’s make it difficult. Their earning potential does not improve. ”
[ More students to avail of ‘game-changing’ degree courses outside CAO system ]
I have to admit to myself. Seldon has been my principal for 6 years and he even stayed with us this past weekend. He mentioned St. Columba in an article in the Spectator. Because he had sent me the article beforehand, and we weren’t in it, so I told him to include us as well. He said: “Our young people deserve inspiration, joy and love at school. School should be a place where they discover and celebrate what they can do, not what they can’t do.” Issue Leaving Certificates By taking 7 subjects, the brightest students can study the subjects they need in medicine and economics, while also providing space for the humanities, arts and music that feed the soul and make us whole. You can also secure
And doesn’t that give us great potential to make our schools places of human flourishing, inspiration, joy, and love?
Mark Bouvier is Director of St Columba’s College, Dublin