Junior Cert - the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?

This year's Junior Cert students would be justified in feeling a little bit forgotten about. They're well used to having the limelight stolen by their older peers sitting the more senior State exam, but this time around, they've been faced with talk that their exams might be scrapped, or, if held at all, they might not be marked.

The exam threat has been lifted, which is a relief to all students, but Junior Cert candidates may be left wondering if all that study was really worth it.

President of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors Roisin Kelleher feels Junior Cert students have been neglected. "The Junior Cert is often overlooked, but it's important that due status is given to it. It's the first State exam and students have a considerable number of subjects to cover; it is demanding at that level."

Kelleher rejects the notion that the Junior Cert is just a trial run for the Leaving Cert. "This is a very important exam and for many students, it's both their first and last State exam." More than 10,000 students leave school each year with only a Junior Cert qualification. Kelleher says these students could be encouraged to stay in school if they were more aware of their options at senior cycle.

The traditional Leaving Cert exam is now complemented by the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) and Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), both of which concentrate on vocational and technical subjects.

"These are very good options for many young people and it is worth considering moving to a school which provides these programmes if you think you would be suited to them," says Kelleher.

The time in between the Junior and the Leaving Cert is a vital period of progression, says Kelleher, and even if you don't stay in school full-time, your education shouldn't end.

Apprenticeships, organised through FAS, are an option to consider, however students should be aware that they have to find their own sponsor and employers are becoming less inclined to take students who have no qualifications other than their Junior Cert. Training courses for jobs that are not aprenticeship-based are also available through FAS.

Many CERT courses leading to jobs in the hospitality industry take students with no Leaving Cert, as do some Teagasc courses, however students are often required to be of "Leaving Certificate standard" to join the course.

"You must examine these options very carefully before making the decision to leave school," says Kelleher. "Build on your knowledge and always make sure you'll have the option of coming back into full-time education." Many people leaving school convince themselves they will complete the Leaving Cert at night. Kelleher sounds a warning note: "Night classes are not easy and they take a long time. You may end up spending a lot more time getting your Leaving than if you had stayed in school."

Kelleher says many Junior Cert students will not have had access to guidance counselling in school and it is essential they have someone to go through their options with them.

"If they are going to leave school, they should at least leave informed. They're at a very vulnerable time and they should not make decisions without talking to parents or teachers," she says.

President of the National Youth Council Peter Byrne says students should use the Junior Cert in a personal way to find out how they're doing in general.

"This is a benchmark exam for yourself, it's not a case of others judging you and it's not just a stepping stone to the Leaving. You should approach it in real, meaningful way and see how you fare," he says.

Byrne says no matter how you feel about school now, you should still sign up to return after the summer and use the break to consider seriously what's best for you.

"Please don't be tempted to jump at the first job that comes along. What may seem like an attractive salary now may not be so great in five or six years' time. The economy is booming now, but if the boom ends and you're unskilled you'll be the first person let go," he says.

Anyone who has had a part-time job during the year should give it up now, says Byrne.

"No young person should be working while they're doing exams and I would call on parents and employers to discourage it strongly." He also asks families to be tolerant of students during exam time and not dismiss the Junior Cert.

"It's an important stage in a young person's life. It's more than just a qualification, it's about leaving adolescence and entering into young adulthood."