Letters

Schools and pandemic closures

Closing schools for far longer than most European countries was a mistake

Thu Aug 31 2023 - 00:06

A chara, – Prof Pól Ó Dochartaigh does an expert job in highlighting four categories of students unfairly disadvantaged by Leaving Certificate grade inflation (“Four kinds of student are paying the price for unfair Leaving Cert grade inflation”, Opinion & Analysis, August 30th). He points out that A-level and international baccalaureate students have been unfairly impacted as grades in those exams have not been inflated to the same extent.

Grade inflation appears to be another uniquely Irish problem that was caused by our response to the Covid pandemic. We decided to fully close our schools for a total of 22 weeks. A number of months ago The Irish Times reported on the long-term disruption to learning that was caused by school closures. By contrast, schools were fully closed for 10 weeks in Germany and only seven weeks in France. Prof Pól Ó Dochartaigh is right to say that hindsight can be a great thing. However, with the benefit of hindsight, we simply have to accept that closing schools for far longer than most European countries was a mistake. – Yours, etc,

REAMONN O’LUAN,

Churchtown,

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Dublin 14.