Students complain to Minister about ‘cruel’ Leaving Cert maths paper

Dozens of students and their parents have contacted the Department of Education to complain about the Leaving Cert maths exam. The paper caused controversy last month with some sixth years writing to the Minister for Education Norma Foley to say how “ridiculous” it was.

One wrote: “I studied my butt off in order to get a good grade in maths so I can pursue my college goal and after that paper I feel that dream [has] been dumped, so thank you.”

Another said they wanted to make a formal complaint, saying it had been particularly unjust for students who hadn’t been able to do their Junior Cert due to Covid-19.

A copy of their email said: “I feel as though the exam’s difficulty was deliberately increased from previous years.”

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One parent, who wrote to Ms Foley, described the exam as “frankly horrific”.

“My son is not one to be rattled but he is so deflated,” the parent said. “He is convinced he has failed miserably, along with literally every single one of his fellow classmates.”

[ Breda O'Brien: Ridiculously challenging Leaving Cert maths exam is no way to build resilience ]

Another parent said the paper had been “utterly unforgiving” and that they wanted to express their “disgust” about it.

They said: “I know this has caused mayhem especially for the stronger students, please ensure this examiner isn’t let loose again as I have two other kids working their way through the system.”

One email wrote of a parent and daughter left “devastated” by the exam and how the mental wellbeing of students needed to be considered.

“It is my first time to experience the Leaving Certificate as a parent and I am horrified at the stress and mental anguish experienced by students as a result of the convoluted way the [paper] was presented to students,” they wrote.

Another message said the paper had been “outrageous and cruel”, particularly for a group of students who had not sat formal State exams before.

They wrote to the Minister: “Shame on you and the department for the stress you have caused hard-working students so early in the exam schedule. Impossible for students not to be impacted for the remainder of the exams!”

One student said they wanted to express their “utter disappointment” saying the exam had been “a joke” and designed to catch people out.

Their email said: “I would wholeheartedly hope that [you] decide to take this matter very serious as passing maths is no joke for some of us students.”

Another parent explained how their two children felt there was no point in continuing with their exams after being “extremely disheartened” by the paper.

“It is essential that the students be given fair grades and the marking scheme be altered severely to reflect the ridiculous nature of these questions,” said the email.

[ Leaving Cert: Complaints over ‘unfair’ maths paper one exam will be considered during marking - SEC ]

One email said the exam had probably destroyed any “love or affection” students involved would have for maths.

They wrote: “You have frightened the next generation of children into taking ordinary level maths rather than choosing higher level, which they are capable of.

“It is such a shame that this has happened. We talk about the importance of mental health and ensuring our children are supported during such a stressful time. You ignored this.”

Separately, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) refused to release details of complaints it had received about the paper. They said commentary and correspondence was a normal part of the examinations process and would be brought to the attention of the chief examiner.

“The approach taken by the SEC to the development of the final marking schemes ensures consistency in the marking and fairness to candidates,” it said.