The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) today congratulated students on their Junior Certificate achievements and urged them to stay on and complete a Leaving Certificate programme.
Comments from TUI General Secretary John MacGabhann:
‘Students should be proud of their achievements today. Teachers also deserve considerable credit for delivering a first class education service in an era of cuts to key supports and programmes.
If we could offer one key piece of advice today it would be to urge students to continue with their education. School completion is of critical importance for educational, social and economic reasons, and there is a programme to suit the needs of each and every student. Students and their parents should be aware that there is a direct relationship between academic attainment and future earnings.
Options such as the Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme must be promoted and enhanced.
In choosing subjects for the Leaving Certificate, students should choose areas that engage them and are of most interest to them. In relation to this, school guidance counselling provision has been severely stripped back since 2012. Such provision must be fully restored as a matter of urgency to ensure that students can make as informed a subject choice as possible.
Students taking Transition Year will have the opportunity to engage in community based voluntary work that directly benefits those in need and strengthens the bond between schools and communities.’
Celebrate responsibly
‘Students should celebrate responsibly and should remember that they do not need to drink to enjoy themselves. With this in mind we urge those in the off-licence trade and vintners to be vigilant and not to sell alcohol to minors.’