Ridiculously challenging Leaving Cert maths exam is no way to build resilience

The Leaving Cert maths paper one has already passed into lore as the maths carnage paper. Even though paper two was much fairer, people are still irate that students were so needlessly upset.

Others are muttering instead about snowflakes with no resilience. This alternative narrative suggests that if people are going to get 25 extra points in the Leaving Cert for achieving a H6 or higher (40 per cent or higher), then students should be prepared to sweat a little.

There are two separate although somewhat related issues here. The first is what an exam paper is designed to achieve. The second is whether young people now lack resilience.

An exam is supposed to provide an objective measurement of what a student has learned, that is, the level of knowledge and skills (including higher-level thinking) that has been attained.

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An ideal test is fair but challenging and allows students to demonstrate their learning. Patently, this maths paper did not meet these criteria. Students typically prepare by practising past papers. Student after student has declared that practising past papers was no help, despite the State Examinations Commission’s statement that the examination had the same “format, structure and style” as previous years.

The shocked, confused and upset reactions were the same from high-attaining students and those who are grimly hanging on by their fingernails in the hope of getting those famous 25 extra points. That suggests something seriously awry in the way the exam was framed.

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

Given that the notorious bell curve, or norm-referenced grading, means that roughly the same number of H1s, H2s and so on will be handed out, it is just cruel and unusual punishment to set an exam that freaks out so many students. And retaining that bell curve close to previous grades widely acknowledged as inflated has the imprimatur of no less a person than Minister for Education Norma Foley.

As a side issue, this writer believes those 25 points are a really bad idea that makes an already too stressful exam even more demanding.

These Leaving Cert students experienced that weird, distorted online existence generated by the pandemic for months at a time

Let’s look at the whole question of resilience and coping. Sitting the Leaving Cert is in itself an exercise in resilience. There were additional challenges for this cohort. They did not get to sit any junior cycle exams and missed out on most of transition year. Participation in a full TY programme has significant benefits, including for academic results.

More importantly, these Leaving Cert students experienced that weird, distorted online existence generated by the pandemic for months at a time. They then had a cold, masked, socially-distanced return to school. Anxiety and depression levels are far higher among these post-pandemic young people.

In additional educational needs, a continuum is used to describe the levels of support needed, referring to all, some and few. In other words, there are things that everyone needs, but a smaller number will need more, while a few will need intensive support.

What does everyone in this post-pandemic cohort need? Acknowledgment, realism and balance. The pandemic was unprecedented and it has been really hard for young people. However, the majority will be well able to cope with the pandemic’s legacy. It is not the equivalent of facing floodwaters in Kherson.

[ Leaving Cert maths paper 1: ‘A challenging paper’ ]

There was a growing tendency among parents long before the pandemic to intervene too quickly to solve their teenage daughters or sons’ problems.

For example, some parents had begun to frame every normal teenage squabble or falling-out as bullying. The preferred solution often seemed to be public flogging of the alleged perpetrator. Post-pandemic, the levels of premature intervention are even more noticeable.

When adults intervene too quickly when things go wrong, or in normal everyday conflict, students are less and less able to manage stress. As a result, their anxiety levels rise still further.

There was a growing tendency among parents long before the pandemic to intervene too quickly to solve teenagers’ problems

Sympathetic listening ears that allow students to find their way to their own solutions, on the other hand, reduce anxiety levels.

That will work for the majority but then there are the some, and the few. Some young people are born burdened with a throw of the genetic dice, which means life is more difficult for them. Perhaps they are neurodiverse in significant ways, or just simply more sensitive than the average person. These individuals need more support.

Seemingly normal situations are more overwhelming for them and ordinary levels of anxiety and sadness can easily spiral into something more serious. Then there are the few, who develop serious and full-blown mental health conditions.

[ Leaving Cert maths paper 2: Relief over ‘fair’ and ‘approachable’ exam ]

The tragedy is that the public health services for those few are threadbare and slow. Child and adolescent mental health services are seriously underfunded.

The key skill is knowing into which cohort your child falls and when to intervene and when to seek professional help. No one ever said parenting is easy.

But if we are going to start to try to build resilience in young people, let’s not start with a ridiculously challenging Leaving Cert maths paper one, because it is those who are already among the some and the few with mental health challenges who will be most affected. And that is just not fair. We can do better.