Leaving Certificate Nearing Start Date. Ireland’s youngsters face some challenging exams in the coming weeks, with the Leaving Certificate underway from the 5th to the 21st of June.
Things kick off with the first subject – English – on the morning of the 5th, with linguistics students working on niche languages Italian and Japanese the last out of the exam halls late on the afternoon of the 21st. The Applied Leaving Certificate exams take place alongside the more academic equivalent, but finish by the 13th of the month. There are a host of useful online resources to help with study, including some great tips from Cork News on studying and exams technique, and a wide range of resources for both revision and the parents of students that can be tracked down in Schooldays.ie. The full timetable is national, to avoid the leaking of exam papers, and can be downloaded here, though participants should be sure to check local requirements through their examining school.
Intelligent Systems Summit to Take Place in Derry. June the 11th and 12th will see the Intelligent Systems Submit (ISS) take place at the City Hotel in Derry. The event is set to be open to the public as part of Derry’s year as British City of Culture, and will give insights into the use of information technology in advanced ways, such as self-organizing and self-adapting systems. They’ll also be a strong emphasis on coding, giving young programmers the chance to speak with and learn from experts and from their peers. They’ll also be a strong emphasis on the medical side of technological development, including computational routes to clinical diagnosis and technical advances in neuroscience. The summit takes place in collaboration with the University of Ulster’s Intelligent Systems Research Centre.
American University SAT Entrance Tests. Those looking to head across the pond for educational reasons in the near future will be taking the requisite SAT tests in Dublin and Waterford on the 1st of June. Exams are typically taken by fifth and sixth year Irish students, and offer the luxury of unrestricted retakes. Still, best of luck to all with global aspirations first time around.
Foot In The Door Employment Event for Cork. The Ambassador Hotel in Cork will host a ‘Foot in the Door’ event on the 30th of May, a network event run by the Contact Centre Management Association. 120 plus jobs will be on offer at the event with companies like UPC, Atos and SouthWestern in attendance, while those on the look out for information and education resources can attend a series of seminars taking place throughout the day. You can book a place here. More upcoming open days and information events are listed on the Findacourse.ie open days page.
Junior Certificate Reform Information Sessions Open To Parents. The Department of Education and Skills has opened regional information sessions involving Ruairí Quinn T.D, designed to inform parents on up and coming changes in the Junior Cycle. Events will take place in ten different counties, with Dublin hosting three events. Full regional schedules for information sessions can be found here.
Government to Discuss Second Pre-School Year. Discussions into a second state-provided year of pre-school for toddlers are underway, with Ruairí Quinn suggesting that no change is imminent, but pushing for a more in-depth debate. Quinn argues that the second year will have a ‘dramatic impact’ on the life development of children, and intends to push for an introduction by reallocating funds rather than through a new budget.
Author:
James Hendicott