QUESTION & ANSWER

Q My son always got As and Bs in higher English at school, but ended up with a D in the Leaving a re-check produced no upgrading, but I still feel an injustice was done. Even at this late stage, is there anything we can do? Dublin mother

A Technically, under the regulations, there is nothing you can do one recheck is all that is allowed. However, as you indicate in your letter, you are aware from media reports that some art students from Sligo and English students from Dundalk have had their 1995 exams results re-examined by the Department. This only came after pressure and lobbying.

Clearly, the Department cannot endlessly review everyone's results but at the same time, given the discrepancy in your son's results, it seems to me that it might just might be worth your while pushing it further. You would, how ever, definitely need the support of your son's English teacher and principal.

I understand that it does not make any difference to your son in terms of a college place he already has that. But when such a big discrepancy occurs and in such a major subject I think the regulations ignore the psychological implications. It's not even necessarily the need to secure a upgrade it's more the need to know what went wrong, what exactly was so bad about your paper.

When the reports on the Sligo and Dundalk affairs are completed, some consideration should be given to allowing teachers access to papers in particular circumstances, so that schools could at least get some idea of what happened.

Q My son's friend who attends a different school has just started a "programme of study" whereby Junior Cert students are staying back in school to study from 4 to 6 p.m. each day. Does the Department of Education provide for this? south Dublin parent

A After school supervised study periods are catching on like wildfire in schools around the country. It has nothing to do with the Department of Education this is purely an initiative of the schools themselves. Indeed, I understand that in many cases, it is the pupils who take the initiative by asking for the supervised study.

The school provides the hall and pays teachers to supervise the study. The students are charged usually about £20 a term to cover the costs. It seems to to be a very successful idea.

It originally began for Leaving Cert students, but I have come across quite a few schools who have introduced it just for this third term for Junior Cert students.

Obviously, strict rules must apply and pupils' and parents usually have to sign a commitment to abide by the rules, to wear school uniforms and not to disrupt other students.

The students seem to love the idea it helps them to plan their revision and gives them the kind of structured environment they may have difficulty achieving at home.

Perhaps this is an area where your school's parents' association could play a role. Raise it with your school principal and offer your services in the organisation and co-ordination.

Q Our daughter has improved her performance and is studying much more seriously for her Leaving Cert since Christmas. We now regret that she did not apply for a college place, but at the time it seemed a pointless exercise. Is there any way she can catch up? Co Galway mother

A It is possible to apply for the majority of CAO courses until Wednesday of next week.

The original closing date was, February 1st, but the CAO will, accept late applications until May 1st for a late fee of £34. It's important to make the May 1st deadline, however after that date no applications whatsoever will be accepted.

A number of courses in the CAO system do not take late applications these are mostly those which involve an additional assessment such as portfolio, interview or test. Apart from this minority (which are identified in the CAO handbook), the vast majority of courses in universities, RTCs, the DIT and other CAO colleges are still open to application.

It seems to me that it does make sense for your daughter to apply. Certainly in the certificate/diploma list there are good courses which are available on relatively average Leaving Cert results, so it is always worth having a go.

In the case of some colleges, it is also still possible for mature students to apply.

Q My daughter's school has written to parents saying that wearing the school uniform will be obligatory during the Leaving Cert. She says it's uncomfortable and that they can't force her. I'm really worried could she be suspended from the exam? Cork parent

A The rules as outlined by the Minister for Education state that the school has the right to require exam candidates to wear uniforms if it so wishes. The Department of Education itself does not so require and it will not make uniforms compulsory if the school wishes to do so, then neither the Minister nor the exams branch of the Department will object.

As the Minister has said, may not use the sanction of preventing the student entering the exam hall to enforce the uniform rule. This is because she feels that access to public examinations has to be unrestricted the school may use other sanctions detention after the exam (serious enough in the middle of your exams), withholding a reference, or whatever.

It would certainly be easier for everyone all around if your daughter would agree to the uniform it would avoid hassle and stress during this all important period. She has enough on her mind without adding this worry as well.

Talk to a few other parents. Maybe the girls are ganging up and trying to stage a group action a bit of chatting to them in groups by a few parents might help.

Q I have a conditional offer of a place in an English University for the autumn, but I still cannot find out if I can get a grant to go there. Do you know what is happening? Westmeath student

A The Minister has said that she will announce a decision in May on whether and how to extend maintenance grants to Irish students studying in Britain.

So you should know how you stand shortly.

Mind you, I don't think that it is such a big issue anymore, now that university and other third level college fees have been abolished here. As a result, you will have no fees to pay regardless of whether you study here or in Britain or Northern Ireland. On the grants front, if the scheme is extended to students studying in Britain it will be on the same means test level as applies to students studying here.

This means that if you are eligible for a maintenance grant to study in Britain, you would also be eligible for one here so there is no financial advantage. Indeed, the British option is now more expensive, as it involves additional travel costs.

I presume you have applied for a CAO college place here. Surely this would be the better option? It is possible in some courses that you may get a place with somewhat lower Leaving Cert results in a British college. But I'd stop and think there, too, if I were you. What is the status of your English university? How useful will its qualification be to you in the long run? There is a lot of debate about standards and the relative status of British university degrees going on at the moment.

Q We have a bright son who would like to do the Transition Year. Two points worry us a lot of the brighter students in his year are not opting for it, and we worry that he may not find it challenging enough and we are also concerned that he may lose out on honours maths, which he wishes to do for the Leaving Cert. Co Wicklow mother

A I wouldn't worry about the honours maths. Most schools build maintenance of basic skills in areas such as maths and modern languages into the Transition Year programme.

And as for the brighter students moving on, that's his gain and their loss. Much of what happens in Transition Year has got to do with developing skills other than the strictly academic ones, and he might find the competition stiff enough on this front even from less academic classmates.