Leaving Certificate students in Mayo were congratulated by Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony after they received their results on Wednesday. “While the exam is important it must be remembered that it’s just one step along the way in life,” Deputy O’Mahony said. “There is something for everyone after school and we should not lose sight of that.”
ASTI president Brendan Broderick also wished Leaving Cert students well in their future endeavours. “Often there is much focus on the top performers – the small minority who obtain the maximum points,” Mr Broderick said. “Teachers and parents know that for some students obtaining passes is as much an achievement as other students obtaining honours.”
A spokesperson for the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union gave some sound advice to students by saying that the Leaving Cert is “not the be all and end all” and “over the next few days, take stock, and maturely evaluate your options.”
The Irish Vocational Education Association general secretary Michael Moriarty also said that students should “keep this ‘milestone’ in perspective” as “the Leaving Certificate results are but one of many significant steps on their journey through life and we all need to be mindful of this reality. More than anything else, young people need to get themselves into courses and careers that match their aptitudes to real job prospects because simply aiming for prestigious courses and careers can leave young people moored, when the job market changes, as is currently the case, or they find that they cannot cope with work that is not congenial to them
