The ISSU Supports the Youth Democracy Movement
The ISSU supports the Youth Democracy Movement
The Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU) serves as the main representative body for secondary school students in the Republic of Ireland. Our goal is to uphold the organisation's integrity and democracy, while promoting fair access to education, the elimination of discrimination and the establishment of student councils as powerful representatives in their local communities.
In order to ensure that everyone has access to a modern and fair learning environment, the ISSU works to create an educational system that values and develops each individual's potential, which resolves socioeconomic inequities in student services, and actively handles student challenges at all levels, from local to global.
Background
On International Youth Day 2022, the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Youth
Constituency called on all humanitarian funds to democratically include young people in decision-making structures.
This is composed of more than 100 youth-led NGOs from 40 crisis-affected countries, and hosted by the 100 Million Campaign at Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation.
The Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU), All-Africa Students Union (AASU), European Students Union (ESU), Commonwealth Students Association (CSA), NSoA (National Society of Apprentices), MNL (Mouvement National Lycéen), USI (Union of Students in Ireland) and many more have endorsed this call aiming to establish democratic youth movements across the humanitarian-youth sector.
ISSU’s Endorsement of the YDM
ISSU strongly supports the Youth Democracy Movement, advocating for the creation of youth and student-led groups within humanitarian-development organisations.
Embracing our motto “Representing, Uplifting and Defending Student Voice”, ISSU believes that empowering youth groups can strengthen collaboration among all stakeholders to tackle common challenges at all angles.
The ISSU believes youth-led constituencies should be afforded equal status and resources as other stakeholders, enabling their full participation in decision-making processes at all levels. Integrating youth perspectives into global decision-making is crucial for decisions that will impact future generations.
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union
Representing, Uplifting & Defending Student Voice.
ISSU Statement : Students demand Oral Examinations to be returned to pre-pandemic timings before 2025
The Irish Second Level Students Union (ISSU) is demanding that Oral Examination times be changed to before the Easter break, reverting back to the timetable in place pre-pandemic. Students are put under undue pressure by taking the orals during Easter. This cuts into a deserved holiday period which both students and teachers need to rest.
The ISSU recognises that the current time of orals was suited to the special circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current circumstances that students and teachers find themselves in have changed and therefore it is no longer suitable to conduct the orals during easter.
ISSU Uachtarán Shari Irfan commented, “Easter break is for many students a time to catch their breath before they head into the Leaving Certificate exams. Conducting the Orals Examinations during the easter period puts students, families and teachers under undue pressure. It must be acknowledged that the current timing was suited to special circumstances as we settle back into the normal rhythm of things, so should the orals.
A poll conducted via the ISSU social media shows that 71% of students would like to sit there orals before Easter, only 29% of students want them to go on as normal.
Students have also spoken out against the Irish Oral, more specifically the Sraithpictiúr segment. The Irish Oral accounts for 40% of your overall grade in the subject, 80 out of 240 marks are given to the Sraithpictúir. On the course, students are asked to learn 20 Straithpictúir and are examined on only 1, in the previous 2 years students have been required to learn 10 under the pandemic adjustments, however these are not due to carry on for the Leaving Cert class of 2025.
Roisin Myers, sat her leaving cert last year and said “I remember feeling disappointed coming out of my Irish oral. For two years I had spent countless hours perfecting the other nine sraithpictiur, embellishing them with nathanna cainte and seanfhocail while keeping exactly within the time constraints of three minutes''
“I sacrificed precious time that could’ve been spent preparing for the comhrá questions, my written paper or my other subjects which I was due to sit in just two months.”
Current fifth year students have begun learning their 20 Straithpictúir for Leaving Cert 2025 and the ISSU is calling on the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, State Examinations Commission and Department of Education to make 10 Straithpictúir the standard for every year starting in 2025.
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ISSU Statement : The ISSU expresses their condolences on the passing of Mrs. Niamh Bhreathnach
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) extends their deepest condolences to the family and friends of former TD and Minister for Education, Niamh Bhreathnach.
Mrs. Bhreathnach brought the Irish education system into a new era, with the abolition of third-level undergraduate tuition fees, the introduction of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme, making the Transition Year Programme available to all second-level schools and significant increases in education spending. These are aspects of our education system that we take for granted in this age, but we must not forget the former Education Minister’s hard work, strength and determination that delivered them to us.
Caitlin Faye Maniti
Uachtarán - ISSU
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For more information, please contact studentvoice@issu.ie
Notes to editor:
The Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU) is the national representative body for second-level school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU towards an education system in which the views, opinions and contributions of students are respected and in which students are recognised as an official partner in creating an education that is centered around and caters best for students.
ISSU Uachtarán Announces: LEAS UACHTARÁN RESIGNATION STATEMENT
A Chairde,
Today the ISSU announces that as of 1:07 PM of the 22nd of October 2022 the Leas Uachtarán of the ISSU has formally resigned.
More information will be shared soon regarding the steps we are taking to fill the vacancy
Is mise le meas,
Caitlin Faye Maniti
UACHTARÁN
IRISH SECOND-LEVEL STUDENTS’ UNION
ISSU Statement : Second-Level Students’ Union Welcomes Proposed Changes to the 2023 State Examinations
ISSU Statement : Second-Level Students’ Union Welcomes Proposed Changes to the 2023 State Examinations
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) welcomes the recent statement from Minister for Education, Norma Foley, announcing adjustments to the 2023 State Examinations.
The adjustments, announced as a result of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, will include changes similar to those announced in August 2021 but updated as relevant.
Speaking on the announcement, Uachtarán of the ISSU, Caitlin-Faye Maniti, said: “The ISSU welcomes the announcement from Minister Foley, regarding adjustments to the 2023 State Examinations. We are glad that this announcement was released promptly, delivering clarity for the Class of 2023. These compensations, which the ISSU advocated for and that were agreed upon across the table by educational stakeholders, are vital to giving students the opportunity to put their best foot forward. These students can now walk into school on Monday morning with some certainty of how their exam will be run”
ISSU Education Officer, Jack McGinn, added: “The ISSU was delighted to continue our work on the Advisory Group for the State Examinations 2022, due to the success of the group in 2021 and 2020 in providing solutions and clarity to the issues our entire school community faced under the threat of COVID-19. The adjustments announced today are recognising the disruption our new exam year students faced over the last two years. We would like to thank Minister Foley, the Department of Education and Skills, the State Examinations Commission, and our fellow educational stakeholders for working together to swiftly implement a plan for the Leaving Certificate, and Junior Cycle students of 2023.”
More information regarding the adjustments will be issued to schools over the coming weeks. The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union wishes all students receiving their results today the very best of luck, support is available at https://www.issu.ie/help should you need it.
Comhghairdeas to the newly elected Coiste Gnó na nDaltaí nd Monitoring & Advisory Committee for 2022/23!
Comhghairdeas to the newly elected Coiste Gnó na nDaltaí nd Monitoring & Advisory Committee for 2022/23!
Best of luck to them all, they'll be taking office from July 10th.
Go n-éirí an t-ádh libh!
Comhghairdeas to the newly elected Coiste Gnó na nDaltaí nd Monitoring & Advisory Committee for 2022/23!
Best of luck to them all, they'll be taking office from July 10th.
Go n-éirí an t-ádh libh!
Uachtarán/President: Caitlin Faye Maniti (Loreto Letterkenny, Donegal)
Leas-Uachtarán/Deputy President: Denis Lynch (St Ciaran's Community School, Meath)
Rúnaí/Secretary: Andrew Victory (St. Joseph's CBS Drogheda, Louth)
Communications Officer: Aoibhín Ní Gleasáin (Loreto Wexford, Wexford)
Oifigeach na Gaeilge: Gráinne Ní Ailín (Meánscoil Gharman, Loch Garman/Wexford)
Welfare Officer: Anjelica Foley (Gorey Community School, Wexford)
Equality Officer: Rebecca Livingstone (Beech Hill College, Monaghan)
Sustainability Officer: Jamie Mac Giolla Bháin (St Macartan's College, Monaghan)
International Officer: Shari Irfan (Castleknock Community College, Dublin)
Regional Liaison & Support Officer: Mohammad Naeem (St. Colman’s College, Mayo)
Education Officer: Jack McGinn (Ardscoil Rís, Limerick)
Disability Officer: Eva Grace (Scoil Mhuire Trim, Meath)
Monitoring and Advisory Committee:
Quinton Kelly (Coláiste Éamonn Rís, Wexford)
Eoin Connolly (Villiers School, Limerick)
Christopher O'Sullivan (St Colmcilles Community School, Dublin)
Shane O'Connor (The Abbey School, Tipperary)
Darragh Walsh (Bandon Grammar School, Cork)