Examwatch: Appealing your Leaving Cert results can be worth a punt

If you are desperate to secure points for college, appealing your Leaving Cert results can offer a good chance of an upgrade - depending on the subject.

Last year, more than 5,600 candidates appealed the results of just over 9,800 exams.

Almost 19 per cent were successful resulting in 1,836 upgrades, according to figures compiled by the State Examinations Commission. An unlucky six candidates had their results downgraded.

(The commission points out that these appeals represent just 0.5 per cent of the 387,096 grades awarded overall last year.)

So, what subjects are most likely to yield a better grade on foot of an appeal?

Based on figures for last year, agricultural science provided the most upgrades (34 per cent), followed by Spanish, home economics (both 29 per cent), biology (27 per cent), accounting and maths (both 23 per cent).

Among the subjects least likely to result in upgrades were construction studies (9 per cent) physics (10 per cent), classical studies and business (both 11 per cent).

A word of warning: don’t waste your time appealing your result for religious studies. Of the 48 appeals in 2015, none were successful. Surely a sign that examiners in this subject are infallible.

Say it with. . . used toiletries

Ever wondered what the gift-giving etiquette is for teachers at the end of the school year? Gifts for primary school teachers are common, though a survey by Aldi found that 65 per cent regift the presents, which included dead plants, soap sets, half used toiletries, a light-up fairy statue and - oddly enough - a turkey baster.

The survey found that 24 per cent of teachers surveyed said they do expect gifts on the last day of the school year.

While 93 per cent of parents said they always give one, 32 per cent just grabbed some old rubbish that was lying around the house. What a nice wheeze for makers of tack, if nobody else.

So why don’t secondary school teachers get some of these exciting gifts? Well, it’s easy enough to a get a gift for just one teacher, but secondary school kids can have ten or more teachers, so it just wouldn’t be practical. Their loss.

Primary teachers surveyed said that they would prefer if parents clubbed together to buy them a gift voucher.

Tweet of the day: @PaddyOwens2: Would do anything to have that feeling of finally finishing my leaving cert again

Number: 15,932: The number of Junior and Leaving Cert students who sat Tuesday's Spanish papers