Sir, – Almost a year to the day after I finished my Leaving Cert exams, my Leaving “Certificate” arrived in the post.
While thinking back on the whole sixth-year experience (and rejoicing in the knowledge that I would never have to go through it again), it occurred to me that I actually am grateful for the Leaving Cert exams.
There is much talk about the unfairness of the system and the need for reform, and while I agree that the system of acceptance into colleges needs adjustment, the exams themselves do not.
During the fifth and sixth-year year cycle, I matured as a person, learned to study more productively and independently, and also learned to deal with a huge amount of stress and pressure – most of it self-inflicted!
While there were of course bad moments, I can honestly say the Leaving Cert exams have equipped me to deal with many pressures and challenges that later life might bring.
It is perhaps something that a lot of people ought to reflect on, particularly those on the warpath for change. – Yours, etc,
LUCY GAYNOR,
Sandyford,
Dublin 18.