John Heffernan

So school is out for summer. You would have to pity the poor Leaving Certs and the pressure that they are under. Is the pressure that we put them under worthwhile. Do really many LCs really know what they want to do with the rest of their lives at the age of 17. I am a hell of a lot older than those LCs and I don't know what I want to be. The concept of a job for life is gone yet in secondary school we just gear them up for one small but pressurised part of that. Failure at the LC does not equate with failure in life yet to some students the Leaving is their raison etre. I read recently that one in 15 millionaires in the USA is a high school dropout. I suppose instead of teaching about the failures of the league of nations and dihedral angles on the vertical plane should be we be teaching them how to achieve their dreams and help overcome the difficulties and challenges that the real world will throw at them.

So school is out for summer. You would have to pity the poor Leaving Certs and the pressure that they are under. Is the pressure that we put them under worthwhile. Do really many LCs really know what they want to do with the rest of their lives at the age of 17. I am a hell of a lot older than those LCs and I don't know what I want to be. The concept of a job for life is gone yet in secondary school we just gear them up for one small but pressurised part of that. Failure at the LC does not equate with failure in life yet to some students the Leaving is their raison etre. I read recently that one in 15 millionaires in the USA is a high school dropout. I suppose instead of teaching about the failures of the league of nations and dihedral angles on the vertical plane should be we be teaching them how to achieve their dreams and help overcome the difficulties and challenges that the real world will throw at them.

Weblogs are fast becoming a cool trend world wide now. Many of the people I have worked within the past few years have one now. I an looking at a way to see if there is a way to use this in an educational environment.

Christmas tests are just like Christmas shopping. A lot of stress, effort in presentation, pushing in queues (esp for the photocopier ) and 'your gift' not appriecated by those who receive it. JB is finishing up his stint on OLG and the girls are quite disappointed in his leaving as evident in the 2nd year petition to keep him. The Leaving Certs were very quiet in this matter. hmmm I hope to see James in the Castlecourt over Christmas Bah Humbug

Welcome to my part of cyberspace where you will be able to see what my brain is churning out soon on a range of matters such as football irish education system and IT in education