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CSPE - #JC2017 - Diego Brule

Diego Brule - Colaiste Einde Salthill GalwayBeing a climate change activist, and a member of the ISSU, I went into this test pretty confident, although I really didn't know what to expect. I was just praying that climate change or some other topic that I'm passionate about would come up so I can rant for a bit. (Yeah I do that a lot)And I wasn't too wrong to be confident. First few pages flew by, only being confused by anything that was in Irish because in CSPE you can kind of really use common sense to answer anything, but when there's Irish involved and you don't know a word of it you get really confused. (Even though the only Irish word that came up was Áras an Uachtaráin.)

Then the infographics, they were fun enough, as the answers were literally all there and you got to learn something from them too. For example, I learned that co. Donegal lost 7000 people to emigration in 2016 (fun fact?)And finally, the long questions. Before turning into this page I felt the sense of excitement you feel when you're scratching out scratch lottery, but this time I actually won, because, as I wanted, climate change came up, in the form of an Earth Hour question. And it asked me to write a speech. Yasss.I got a weird look from my examiner because of the little smirk I had from writing this speech. But hey, you gotta put emotion into a speech to make it a good one. Oh no. Just as I'm writing this I remember I forgot to answer the last part of that question. It was something along the lines of 'What can your school do to help stewardship of the Earth'. I was on the Green Schools committee and know a thousand different answers to this, WHY DID I FORGET?Oh yeah, because I was having so much fun drawing the poster. Oops.Oh well, I got a chance to write a speech (I love writing and giving speeches so much) and I got to draw a little. 'Twas a fun exam. I hope those 8 forgotten marks don't take my A.
#JC2017 #StateExams #ISSU17

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STUDENTS SCAPEGOATED... again

Press Statement

ISSU speaks out in opposition to using students as pawns in industrial dispute

Teachers are often too slow to embrace significant change, and on this occasion they have brought reasonable talks to a deadlock due to a failure to adapt. Teachers correct hundreds of school-based assessments for individual subject exams or indeed for in-house Christmas and summer exams. We would recommend that the anonymity attached to exam numbers provided by the State Examinations Commission be maintained, and that teachers swap exam scripts within the same school to address concerns over bias. This change is needed and we need to move with it.Joanna Siewierska, ISSU Education Officer, said “We are lucky to have some of the most dedicated and committed teachers teaching us, but once again industrial action on this scale during school hours means that students are being used as pawns in what ultimately is an industrial dispute not solely concerning educational reform. My teachers correct my Christmas and summer exams during the school year and when it comes to the award of the new JCSA, why is correcting these papers any different? We respectably ask teachers to refrain from industrial action in this manner and return to talks with the Minister for Education and Skills”.*** ENDS *** Contact: 01-443 4461 / communications@issu.ie 

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A Guide to the CAO Change of Mind Process

If you have already submitted an application form, you can submit a Change of Mind form to the CAO.  You can change the level 8 and or level 6/7 courses from your original application, except for restricted application courses/restricted categories of applicant (see page 4 of the CAO handbook).

How do I do it?

Log onto www.cao.ie and complete the process there.  There is no charge, you can do it more than once, and the closing date is July 1st at 5:15pm.  We recommend that you keep a record of any submissions until you receive confirmation of any changes from the CAO in the post.

 

What if I don’t want to change my application?

Don’t complete a change of mind form; you don’t need to take any action.

 

Will I receive confirmation?

Yes – if you do not receive this by the 7th of July, contact the CAO immediately.  You will need to provide proof that you submitted a change of mind form.

 

Where can I find out more?

The CAO website – www.cao.ie

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You can count on ISSU

Embrace your voice and embark on a journey of change with ISSU. Remember ISSU is…

  • Independent
  • Trusted
  • Reliable

First and foremost, ISSU is here for you. We’ve got your back. We strive for the active, real and democratic participation of second-level students in our education system and in society, in general. Our generation tends to get a lot of negative media attention and we’re now branded "ashes" of the once all mighty ‘Celtic Tiger’. We, the so called ‘celtic tiger cubs’, face the challenges of a modern world – challenges that are not even know yet. We are being educated for jobs that don’t yet exist, entrusted with the debt of a decade of selfish greed – but we can’t voice our concerns?We don’t tell you what you want us to say. We have our own voice.ISSU brings about real change. Now is your time to infulence it. "Become a leader - not a follower"[pro-player width='530' height='253' type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC6N0qIf4eM[/pro-player][pro-player width='530' height='253' type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J89vz7tfN-k[/pro-player]

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