Archive for the ‘School’ Category
Religion being taught in schools
Posted on: July 5, 2013
- In: Debate | Education | School
- 2 Comments
There’s one class in school that I know from experience and talking to others that is usually thought incorrectly and inaccurately. Religion. Usually a filler class for most that takes up two classes out of the 49 I have a week – I tend to have to sit in religion and have to listen to a bias opinion on one religion and I know from others that I’m not the only one to experience it.
Since the Celtic Tiger, Ireland’s religious spectrum expanded and even though the vast majority of the country fall under the title of Roman Catholic there is plenty of other citizens with different views on religion and their spirituality. But why is it that even though the country has changed, the system has not changed? Why is it that Ireland’s education system for religious education has not evolved with the population and the students in school?
I’ll tell you why, because Ireland has it’s head in the clouds and does not take religion as a serious subject. 1,500 students sat religious education for their Leaving Certificate this June and I only know one of them. Until a few months back I was even unaware of the fact that religion was a subject for leaving certificate. I was aware of it being studied for the Junior Cert, but not the leaving cert.
So if people aren’t studying for the exam that is available, what are they studying for? Nothing. The classes are used by a teacher that is probably not qualified in religion but only has a strong view on the topic (which is usually bias to one religion). For example, a teacher who is extremely catholic could voice their opinion on same sex marriage, adoption laws and abortion in a negative way but not allow for an open opinion from the opposite side of the argument.
I believe that religion should remain a subject in schools – but not as what it is. I, as an agnostic, would very much so like to learn about different religions, philosophy and different outlooks on life from a teacher who is unbiased to their own religion. They say a traveled mind is a broadened mind, but how can someone have a broad mind when their mind has only seen Catholicism?
– Paraic McLean
Crazy School Rules
Posted on: February 5, 2013
By Erin & Laragh
When you enter a school, and put on a uniform it seems like you lose your basic human rights. Independence and self-expression are no longer acceptable. Whenever a teacher dislikes your attitude and appearance there always seems to be a school rule they can use to enforce their point. Do any of us really know our school rules? There is a mysterious force affecting so much of our school life but where is the justice behind them. Not even all rules are written, once a student is told that a rule exists it is treated as an unquestionable fact, but this is not always the case. It is important to understand which rules exist and which have just become so ingrained in the school psychology that they are treated as fact. Have you ever tried to get a hard copy of your schools rules? If not I would encourage you to try. We’ve all heard of some insane school rules: no smiling to yourself, no school bags and no holding hands (with people of the opposite gender two girls/boys is fine!) to name but a few. Please message us your school rules and let’s see if together we can change the way these rules are enforced.
Leaving Cert Race
Posted on: August 14, 2012
- In: Education | School
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The senior cycle Irish education system is nothing but a race to the finish line. Whoever is the favourite usually succeeds most; the less capable contestants are left in the dust while others push on to reach glory, the higher you achieve the more points you get. In my eyes this is a sham and needs to be reformed. It does not let the less intellectual students gain places in courses they wish for. Students mentally divide themselves from other student’s standards. Some students feel inferior to others as grades are exchanged , no longer is saying to your mates “I failed again” a gag in lunchtime chitter chatter . In Ireland today if you do not do your leaving cert whatever way you dress it up, you are going nowhere.
Another side to this ridiculous system is the amount of pressure that students have to endure. I can honestly tell you that” 6th year was the worse year of my life”. The expectations that people have for you, the decisions you have to make that will determine your way in life, the hours of study you have to put in on top of trying to get exercise in and staying social to keep you sane is a balance battle that every young person has to go through. In every situation there are the people that handle it well but then there are the people like me who just crack with the stress of everything.
In August the anticipation for the leaving cert results overwhelms everyone. Will the hard work I put in pay off? Will I get my dream course? What will I do if I don’t get what I want? These are all constant thoughts in each students mind. When the results are in and the offers are out you have the people who get what they want and are over the moon , people who didn’t get their number one choice on the Cao but will happily take another offer , and the people who are absolutely devastated that they didn’t get what they want and have few options . 1 is to repeat 2 is to do a fetec course and no.3 is to find some sort of a job in this economic climate. To someone who aims high and works hard to not get their dream course these are not feasible options and leave students in shatters all around the country.
The government have taken the first step in starting to reform the junior cycle but how many more leaving cert students will have to go through that finish line before the system is completely reformed.
Best of luck to all the leaving cert students on the 15th and 20th of August.
Lisa Marie Sheehy
18 Years old
My School Days
Posted on: March 9, 2012
By Micheal Ward
My name is Michael Ward, I am 15 years old and I am an early school leaver. I would like to see if I could push a little bit further to get my leaving cert. It was not my decision to leave school at 15. I feel bad that I am not in the educational system anymore, but I do not feel bad that I am not in school, because my school days were not good. I would like to do my leaving cert outside of school if that was possible. Unfortunately right now it is not.
My classroom experience was negative. I found school very boring, because I didn’t understand what was going on. I missed a lot of school and when I asked the teachers to explain things to me, they just ignored me. I was always behind and I could never catch up, when I wanted to do homework for other subjects I got in trouble. I just had to sit there.
I don’t know if anyone else had the same problem of being a target for teachers in school. I found school to be a disturbing place. Not everybody found school disturbing some people enjoy it. I personally was made to feel different, like an animal in the zoo. I missed a lot of school but nobody helped me to catch up. I know that other people got the help they needed when they missed school. Why couldn’t they help me? Why was I the one to be left out?. To be very honest school disgusted me. During my research for this topic I found the following quote to be very true ‘ the quality of relations between teachers and students, emerges as a key factor in young people staying in education. Negative interaction with teachers is commonly reported by early school leavers, with many feeling they did not receive the help they needed or were not listened to’. This was the reason I left school.
One day I had a stud in my ear and a fellow student had an even bigger stud in his ear. I was told to take it out immediately and I did. The other student was told to take it out as well but he did not. I wore the stud again because I saw that the other student was wearing it so I thought it must be ok. I was sent home and nothing was said to him. Between this type of discrimination and many others. I started to act out. I wanted to leave school. I hated it.
I figured out a way to leave the school for good. I got into a physical fight. I know I gave them a reason to put me out of school. I couldn’t stay there any longer. School was more difficult for me. I was tired of being treated badly every day, so I started acting badly. Nobody was ever on my side. I needed the teachers help with everything because I found it hard to read and write. When I asked the teachers for help they responded really sarcastically and made me feel stupid. Other students didn’t need the teacher as much, but I did. Teachers didn’t always want to help me, I found it very hard.
One teacher in particular hurt my feelings the most. He knew I couldn’t read and usually he never asked me. One day it was different, I was being cheeky so he decided to humiliate me by asking me to read. He made a joke over the fact that I couldn’t read. I got really smart with him and I left the class. I explained to the principal what happened, and then I left the school and went home. All I ever wanted was to be taught something and not to have somebody force me. It would be great if I could just ask a question without being made to feel stupid. I was so sick of being told that I ‘should know’ it, or ‘we’ve done that before’.
Not everything about school was bad. I did have some nice experiences. In 3rd year I had a resource English teacher. There was only 2 students in the class and I got the time I needed. She always helped me before I ever had to ask her. She made things easy to understand. These classes were really helping me but when I went into 4th year they were no longer available.
I like art and I’m good at it. I had an art teacher that saw my talent and encouraged me. It was the first time a teacher was positive towards me. I looked forward to her classes and I never missed one. I knew what I had to do in that class, I was always occupied with something. I never acted out because I had something to do, I knew I was good at it and so did the teacher. It was not just in the classroom that the teacher was very nice, she also stuck up for me when I was accused of something I didn’t do. Finally, someone was on my side.
School made new friends for me. I mixed with people I would never have usually mixed with. I played soccer in school that I never use to do. I only played for the laugh and I really enjoyed it. Being in school also brought me closer to my cousin, we never use to hang out before and now we’re good friends.
My Uncle left school at 12, he’s now 29 and he’s very depend on other people when it comes to reading and writing. When he gets a letter in the post his wife has to read it to him, When he wants to tax his car, pay for insurance he always needs his wife there. There’s a big difference between those times and these times. Now there is still the chance to get an education when you leave school like me for example.
There are a lot more opportunities now to get an education outside of school. There are schemes run by youth reach and the VEC for adult education. I hope to get my leaving cert in the near future, I would like to get more education, I know that opportunity is still out there. I want to get a good job.
In my opinion, people that leave school should not fall behind in education because chances are out there to help you outside of school. Do not give up. I personally am going to keep trying and get the education I deserve. If you wenthrough what I want through would you really want to stay in school. I know I am not alone on this as every year 9,000 young people leave school. This has to stop.
Voicesofyouth 