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“We don’t want the Dept to make the same mistakes as last year”

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By Michelle Crean

A Killarney teenager is one of the leading voices calling on Education Minister Norma Foley not "to make the same mistakes as last year" - and to tell students the plans for State exams and the reopening of schools as soon as possible.

Kacper Bogalecki, a Fifth Year student in St Brendan's College, played his part in surveying thousands of students at the weekend as Regional Officer for Kerry with the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU).

Today (Friday), ISSU will present these findings to the Education Minister, the Department of Education & Skills, and all education stakeholders.

The survey had over 20,000 responses, and a private webinar with over 250 representatives of ISSU member schools in attendance. The feedback was that the majority said that they "feel very unsafe" returning to school in the current climate.

After extensive analysis of the survey results paired with data from the consultation, ISSU will be advocating for a choice for Leaving Certificate students between calculated grades or sitting in-person exams in June, with over 81 percent of respondents rating this option favourably.

ISSU will also be advocating for clarity with regard to the Junior Certificate exams, with 71 percent of Junior Cycle students who responded to the survey communicating their dissatisfaction with the support they have received from the Department of Education. Junior Cycle students are also not in favour of exams proceeding as currently planned, with calculated grades or an option of calculated grades and in-person exams gathering a majority of support.

"The survey and Town Hall went very well, we had a fruitful discussion," Kacper told the Killarney Advertiser this week.

"In terms of orals and practicals we saw that over 70 percent ranked want their orals and practicals cancelled. We also saw that 50 percent of respondents said that online orals and practicals would be their preferred second choice. For the Junior Cert we saw over 75 percent of students either want calculated grades or a mix of calculated grades and exams."

There also needs to be increased communication from the Department regarding safety protocols and the rationale behind their decisions, he added.

"In terms of how safe students feel returning to the classroom, 73 percent felt either very unsafe or unsafe in schools. What we are seeing is that students aren't confident as we haven't been given any scientific data - we want concrete data and more communication as that hasn't been present. We don't want the Department to make the same mistakes as last year, we're looking for a new option to be examined."

The full ISSU Report on the State Examinations 2021 and the Reopening of Schools can be found at issu.ie/news2/2021-survey-results.

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Newstalk Summer Tour arrives in Killarney

Newstalk’s 2025 Summer Tour, in association with ESB, is making its way to Killarney this week, bringing live broadcasts from the town. On morning, Friday, June 20, Newstalk Breakfast with […]

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Newstalk’s 2025 Summer Tour, in association with ESB, is making its way to Killarney this week, bringing live broadcasts from the town.

On morning, Friday, June 20, Newstalk Breakfast with Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman will be live from the Café du Parc in the Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa, kicking off at 7 am.
Ciara and Shane are scheduled to speak with local Kerry figures and take a trip on Killarney’s jaunting cars to see the sights.
Kelly said: “I am so excited to head to Killarney. I have had some fantastic memories as a child visiting Kerry and can’t wait to go back for Newstalk’s Summer tour!”
Coleman added: “Kerry is a wonderful place to visit and I am looking forward to seeing its natural beauty, vibrant culture and rich history.”
The week-long tour is taking the full Newstalk experience to towns across Ireland, featuring live shows, special guests, and conversation.

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Ring of Kerry Cycle to honour founder Paddy O’Donoghue

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This year’s Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle, scheduled for July 5, will be run in memory of Paddy O’Donoghue, a founding member of the event.

Mr O’Donoghue, aged 81, from Muckross, passed away following a road collision in Kilgarvan on Tuesday, this week.

Paddy was a retired Kerry County Council engineer, affectionately known as ‘Paddy the Engineer’.

He was a driving force behind the annual charity cycle since its inception in 1982, regularly participating and fundraising for various causes. Beyond his cycling contributions, the Glenflesk native was also a notable footballer, having been part of the East Kerry team that secured the first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1971.

Cathal Walshe, PRO of the Ring of Kerry Cycle said: “On behalf of the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle I wish to extend sincere sympathy to Brenda and the O’Donoghue family on the sad and sudden loss of Paddy.

“He was a fantastic supporter of the annual charity cycle since it’s inception back in the 80s. A regular participant and wonderful fundraiser for whatever charity he chose. Paddy loved a challenge in whatever he undertook and was the epitome of what the event was all about. We miss the banter and craic but he won’t ever be forgotten. This year’s event will be dedicated to his memory on July the 5th. His likes will never be seen again. Slan Abhaile our friend.”

Tributes have been paid to Mr O’Donoghue, including from his local Glenflesk GAA club, who stated, “Glenflesk GAA would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Paddy O’Donoghue on his sad passing. He was a true Glenflesk stalwart as a player, mentor and lifelong supporter.”

Paddy is survived by his wife Brenda, children Florence, Áine, Denise, Brenda, Báirbre, Patrick, and Alice, 17 grandchildren, his brother John, sisters Margaret, Kathleen, and Anna, and a wide circle of relatives and friends.

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