Madam, - It comes as no surprise to me that 64 per cent of Leaving Cert students are taking grinds throughout the school year, as the school year in my opinion is far too short. We have one of the shortest academic years in Europe, of only 31 weeks, instead of the average of 37. Can you imagine missing six weeks of school? You'd never catch up without taking extra tutorials and this is what most Leaving Cert students are doing.
Making the school year longer would cost the Government nothing - it pays the teachers throughout the summer holidays anyway. There would be no extra heating bills because it's summertime.
I imagine the students themselves would have a problem with the Government cutting their summer holidays in half. Perhaps if schools compensate the students by getting rid of uniforms? I myself attended one secondary schools with uniforms and one without. I must say I found the non-uniform school much more liberating.
School boards have argued that they can recognise their students by their uniform out on the street, or if they are caught smoking, for example. Surely the teachers should recognise students by their faces. Uniform is only a form of control over students. Having no uniform, and a longer school year would allow students to feel relaxed while working, and fully benefit from their teachers' advice and knowledge for the most important exams of their life. That way, grinds would hardly be necessary. - Yours, etc.,
HOLLY FAWCETT, Leixlip, Co Kildare.