Leaving cert applied

Wombled

Hi All

I am looking for advice from parents whose children have done the leaving cert applied or past students. My son is in junior cert this year.

He is absolutely no interest in study or school. He has mentioned the leaving cert applied to me several times

If he applied himself I know he would do well in the traditional leaving cert but he has absolutely no interest. I am worried that he won't stay in school if I pursue this route

I do believe there is alot of project work etc in the LCA.

I would be most grateful for any feedback on the LCA, preferably from students or parents who have done it in the last few years. All feedback welcome

Thank you

spurious

Not a parent, but taught on an LCA course for years.

A great deal with LCA depends on how it is offered in the school. If it is where they stick people who they do not want in the standard LC classes (for behavioural reasons), it is doomed to failure, but many schools run an excellent LCA.

Talk to the co-ordinator. Ask where last year's class went to - employment, college, etc.. Ask how many Distinctions the previous classes got. Distinctions are very hard to get and a good sign of how students in the classes commit themselves.

Within two weeks of starting the LCA in 5th year, they are doing assignments and projects that count towards their final LCA mark, so it is full on. No taking days off here and there as apart from missing assignments, there is an attendance level below which they will not pass their assignments, no matter how good the assignment is.

One great thing about LCA is that they get their marks in batches, so by Easter of 5th year they know they already have x amount of marks in each subject area. It means by the time the actual exams come around at the end of 6th year they have a very good idea of what their overall grades will be.

It is a very different course. The crammers who do all their work in the last couple of months may do well in the standard LC but would do badly in the LCA. He will still have to study in the LCA, though depending on his interests the topics may be more interesting to him.

Of course, since he is only in Junior Cert., if the school he is in offer Transition Year, that may be an option for him to mature a bit and make decisions.

Tara McSweeney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058281373/leaving-cert-applied

Would love to know your outcome Wombled as I find myself now in the same situation

Tara McSweeney

Please any advice would be grateful

Byronde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058281373/leaving-cert-applied

I am a former LCA student. Like your son, I had no interest in school or study. The Leaving Certificate was a pointless endeavour in my eyes and I most likely would have dropped out if I was forced to undertake it.

My experience with LCA was quite positive. I graduated about seven years ago so I don't imagine the programme has changed much. We had to give presentations to our school (I think mine was on global poverty), participate in interviews, and complete various projects including the drafting of a C.V. and demonstrating the job application process. It's very practical. Attendance was strictly mandatory; I believe you will automatically fail the programme if your attendance is below 90%. But the work itself was a breeze so I didn't have an issue attending.

Work experience is also a big part of LCA. My placements were excellent, although I don't think I appreciated them much at the time. We had to source the locations and apply for the jobs ourselves, of course, so we got experience corresponding with employers in a professional manner and experiencing diverse work environments. The experiences I gained from these placements served me well in job interviews after graduating.

It is worth remembering that there are alternative paths to higher education if your son later has a change of heart, as I did. After completing LCA I worked various jobs for a few years (mainly in kitchens and warehouses). During that time I began to develop a serious interest in certain subjects and decided I wanted to study them academically. So I completed a one-year level 5 QQI course, with which I gained entry into my desired course for an honours bachelor's degree. I got a decent grade and was accepted into Trinity College to pursue postgraduate studies.

If your son is serious about not wanting to do the Leaving Cert, and if you think there is a good chance he would drop out if forced to do so, I'd recommend letting him do LCA. It's an engaging programme, and there are plenty of employment options and apprenticeships he can undertake upon graduation. There are also options for him to pursue a college education if his outlook on education changes as he matures (remember, he's only 15!).