Lynn Ruane: My Exams: Leaving not a measure of intelligence

What is your most vivid exam memory?

In the week leading up to my college exams, my father passed away. I decided to sit the exams anyway and as the tears fell from my eyes and soaked the maths paper in front of me, I realised that exams had not determined my success this far. And this maths paper won't determine my future.

Who was your most influential teacher and why?

Marie Tuohy, from Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa in Killinarden. She was my first teacher. It was her nature, the kindness in her eyes and environment she created for learning.

What was your most difficult subject and why?

Maths became my enemy in secondary school. I just couldn’t grasp what was being asked of me. One of my daughters was diagnosed with dyscalculia: she displays all the same struggles as me. I feel I may have the same disability. The only difference is she manages much better with maths because of this diagnosis and my investment and the school’s efforts in helping her to overcome it.

How many points did you get in the Leaving?

None. I dropped out of school, but later continued second-level education at An Cosán, a community training centre in Tallaght.

Is the Leaving Cert fit for purpose given the demands of the modern workplace?

It’s still a one-size-fits-all approach – this has to change. We must remember that schools and parents all over the country have varying resources available to them. One child sitting might benefit from grinds, have educated parents to help with subjects and an expectation of going on to third level. Another child with no family history of education has none of this. This should not determine the outcome of a child’s life.

What subject would you add to the Leaving Cert?

I would add philosophy. It allows us to explore a wide range of topics while gaining the skills for critical thinking and reasoning.

What advice would you give anyone about do to their Leaving Cert?

Remember this is not a measure of how intelligent you are. No matter what you want to do in life there are a number of ways of achieving that: access programmes, community education and work experience. So if the Leaving Cert does not work out how you want it to, explore who you are. Try new things. Find the course that’s right for you. And remember: life experience is a skill in itself – so go live.

Lynn Ruane is a newly elected Senator and former president of Trinity College Dublin's students' union