Joshua, 17, Clare

Joshua believes it would be a good idea, following the cancellation of the Leaving Cert exams this year, to review the format of the state exams and perhaps move away from the Leaving Cert as we know it.

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He believes that giving students the option of predicted grading, such as the national standardised system being proposed currently, could have a positive impact on a lot of students.

Should we be faced by a crisis in the future with a similar impact to Covid-19, Joshua thinks that having updated the school examination system, we would be better prepared to keep going with grading while schools are closed.

He also thinks it would provide students with a fairer method of grading, which does not rely solely on the results of one set of exams, expressing concern at the idea that two years of learning must be demonstrated in a short exam, which might not suit every student.

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