ISSU Extremely Disappointed at News of Oral Examinations remaining within Easter Break

NEWS RELEASE

DATE:    15 /  12  / 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Irish Second Level Students Union (ISSU) is extremely disappointed at the announcement that Oral Examination times will remain within the Easter break. Students are put under undue pressure by taking the orals during Easter. This cuts into a deserved holiday period in which both students and teachers need to rest. Particularly for those who take on more than one oral examination.

The ISSU recognises that the time of orals during the Easter Break 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. The Irish Second-Level Students' Union, the TUI, the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI), and the Irish language subject association An Gréasán have all called for the exams to return to the pre-pandemic timings in recent weeks.

ISSU Uachtarán‎ Shari Irfan commented, “it was disappointing to hear that no change would be made to the Oral Examinations time. Particularly after the fact that the changing of times has received support from students, parents and teachers. I look forward to engaging with the Department of Education and other stakeholders to ensure that students are not put under unnecessary pressure” 

A poll conducted via the ISSU social media shows that 71% of students would like to sit their orals before Easter, only 29% wish for the Easter times to remain. ISSU are currently waiting for preliminary data from a survey conducted by the SEC on the timing of the oral examinations.

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For more information, please contact:

Maeve Richardson ISSU Communications - 01 443 4461/085 872 6480 || press@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 centred around and caters best for students.