Americans React: The Irish Education System Explained | Leaving Cert?

[@bcent5758]

Irish kids are quite well educated compared to their peers around the world. It’s certainly far from perfect, but better than most.

[@berniemadden9548]

Until you leave lreland and possibly settle in other parts of the world and start raising a family, and as you see them go through school, you then start to really realise how much more education we as irish people recieved and how much knowledge we actually know compared to many of our peers from other parts of the world. Example they don't teach anything about Ireland at all in England.

[@andrew097]

The Leaving Cert is about the only thing you can not corrupt in Ireland. We have all gone through it. The smartest, hardest working kids who do the work get the best results. Then usually the courses of their choice. It's tough but fair. Obviously, medicine is near the top. Recently, I was in a room full of student doctors at an Irish hospital. They were so smart it was scary, all the skills of work, detail, dedication that goes into a successful Leaving Cert could be seen.

[@jonathanmeare1123]

Nothing improved your eye to head coordination better than learning to duck when your teacher launched a board rubber across the classroom trying to knock you out. The ability to duck/avoid the board rubber was both character building & essential for future life skills, it certainly made me the man I am today.

[@carolineskipper6976]

In the early 70's we had one class teacher who still threw the board rubber at the boys- but never the girls. One time I sat up just as he lobbed the rubber at the boy behind me and it caught me full in the face. The teacher was mortified- partly because I was innocent of whatever th crime was, and partly I think because I was a girl. I then went to an all girls secondary where there was no corporal punishment - but I'm pretty sure our equivalent boys' school still used the cane.....

[@chsh1]

Besides the board rubber there was the iron finger and the iron metre stick in the chest that was the golden 80s​@@carolineskipper6976

[@tracyl1368]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 I was taught by nun's and they had exceptional aim! Certainly focused your mind!

[@jeanauguste-f7i]

​@@carolineskipper6976 I'm a girl well adult now in the 60's I got a wooden board rubber lobbed my way, my friend noticed and quickly lifted my desk lid and knocked me out. 😂

[@karencauser120]

@@jonathanmeare1123 I'd forgotten about the board rubbers! In secondary school our maths teacher also taught us sports so his aim was perfect. Trouble is I would turn round and get hit on my back, forget to rub it off and get another telling off when I got home. 😂😂😂

[@markruddle5136]

The points system may seem convoluted, but it was meant to fairly reward academic success. The better you did at the Leaving Certificate exams the better chance you could get the college course you desired.No matter how wealthy you are, you cannot get into college unless you get the points required.

[@ColtSievers1000]

The leather strap and sticks of all sizes went out in 1986 . Before that it was mental an physical torture / abuse of a serious degree.

[@kevmur1000]

The major problem, in my opinion, with the Irish language syllabus is that it is designed as if the students were native speakers of the language which patently the vast majority are not. So there is a focus on literature, poetry etc. whereas basic reading and writing skills are taken for granted. The solution I would propose is to separate it into two separate subjects: Irish as a Second Language which would be taught in the same way as French/German/Spanish etc. and Irish for Native Speakers which would cover the deeper aspects of literature, poetry etc.

[@michellekennedy4426]

Ya I remember being inIrish class in secondary school with a few native speakers and the teacher would just teach them and ignore the rest of us,great teaching method.

[@martymcdermott67]

Fully agree. Learn conversational French in 6 months, but after 15 years, just about manage the oul cupla focail! Something is wrong. But as an education system in general (attended school early 70's - early 80's (left after inter-cert to work)), it's a pretty good system. You definitely learned real-world essentials. Geography (world) History (world) maths and problem solving. No calculators. It was pen and paper all the way. We also had sporadic head-only maths exams. Not to mention spelling and grammar tests ... There was craic too. Agree about the exams, though

[@Kevc00]

Absolutely, it's basically the same structure as the English course, but we are meant to be writing about the themes of a poem despite not even knowing the basics of the language. I did higher level Irish for my leaving cert and still did not know the irregular verbs, I just guessed all my grammar. Got a B so it worked out, but I didn't actually know any of the grammar.

[@Karl_with_a_K]

I sent my Son to a Gaelscoil, and he's fluent now and doesn't even realise it. I love that...

[@Athena621]

​@@Karl_with_a_K Glad the gael scoils are doing well, our provincial town has primary and secondary ones.

[@Kevc00]

The Leaving Cert is brutal no question, it's one of the toughest sets of exams in the world and we don't have a GPA in Ireland so the leaving cert is the only thing that counts towards college. That being said your man in the video whines, the leaving cert works fine. Yes its difficult, yes it doesn't suit everyone, yes there should be more opportunities for lads who don't want to go to university, and yes there should be more continuous assessment, but it works. We have one of the highest standards of education in the world, in terms of college applications you are just a number and a score, so you aren't admitted on wealth, or legacy, or race etc only on your academic achievements and the ones who complain are usually people who didn't put in the work.

[@inforabit]

Way back in 73 I remember my primary school teacher lobbing a blackboard eraser at my head leaving me with a black eye and a lump to match. When I got home my mother went crazy,so she marched me back to school to point out the culprit.After a scuffle and the teacher left with matching black eye we left and I never returned

[@reactingtomyroots]

Wait...seriously?! 😅

[@Joseph13163]

@@reactingtomyroots The basic problem with the way irish is taught is that its not the first language of the country anymore yet its thought as if it is with an emphasis on literature like the way english is thought which makes it very frustrating for students who are not native speakers

[@jacquieashurst4487]

Yeah if you ducked and missed you took it back to sooty and sweep slipper

[@jacquieashurst4487]

Lindsey find the film magdelane sisters its pretty acurate re mums and babies' attitude ..very raw but true enough

[@inforabit]

@@reactingtomyroots Teachers where ruthless back then. I was sent to boarding school after that incident where the corporal punishment was who lot worse.

[@stephencarty]

Upcoming Cillian Murphy film "Small things like these" will be set around a mother baby home. Releases in cinemas 1st Nov in Ireland, not sure about worldwide like US

[@cathydoyle3416]

Looking forward to seeing it.

[@papashmeg]

These young kids don''t know they were born. In my day we had to read Peig Sayers. Everybody died - except Peig. Christ this video has given me PTSD

[@globaltraveller]

Ireland is second only to Scotland in having the highest number of university tertiary educated graduates in its school leavers and population in Europe. Its exam system really can’t be that bad at all. The problem is that so many graduates chase too few jobs in each country we have a shortage of plumbers but a surplus of accountants.

[@davebyrne1980]

0

[@erikaprobst4438]

The leaving cert here needs more updating however this is a very negative version as there has been a lot of changes made. There are more than 1 type of leaving cert now depending on what child and parent want to do,there is also a continuous assessment aspect. This video didn't really explain the system just wants to put it down. He is correct about irish though its still taught badly even though they made changes from my day..our education system is ranked number 3 in Europe. 62% of irish kids go to third level. I think a better video might help understand our system more....

[@laurapalmer6699]

I do recommend looking into the Magdeline Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes. Unmarried mothers were forced into institutions, their babies were sold by the catholic church to families in the US and UK. Sometimes the mothers were not allowed to leave and forced to work in the laundries for the rest of their lives.

[@joan279]

Magdalene Laundries in Ireland were owned and run by the Catholic Church. Women ('fallen' or 'simple' or 'troublesome') were forced into these laundries against their will; they were forced to work for zero pay in a hot, stuffy, room for LONG hours with no holidays; they were forced to sleep in dormitories with no privacy and LOCKED DOORS everywhere so they could NOT ESCAPE; and many women never got to leave! SLAVERY 🤬🤬🤬

[@AndrewFlynn-n5s]

Leaving cert is done around the age of 17/18 years. No the 8 years in Primary school starting at 4/5 but you do have kinder garden from 2.5 - 3yrs. The Irish he spoke means "can I please go to the toile" and "can I please go out"

[@thomassharmer7127]

Yes, he buys into the popularly held myth that the things he finds objectionable from the past (he's too young to have been in school at the time) were peculiar to Ireland and its dominant religion. In my English primary school caning on the hand was routine. Then in an all boys secondary school the strap or cane on the backside was equally common. It was supposed to be given only by designated 'discipline' staff, but a fair number of teachers regularly went freelance with their own chosen forms of corporal punishment. I'm not defending it, but it was pretty universal back then.

[@jacquieclapperton9758]

My father had a scar on his wrist from a tawse at Scottish secondary school where the teacher missed his hand and lifted the skin on his wrist instead. Apparently it was the only time Gran went up to the school. For those who don't know what the tawse was, think of a two foot long strip of belt leather, split in two longwise for the last half; it was the standard means of punishment in Scottish schools until the last quarter of the 20th century. I just got the ruler on my hand in primary.

[@spruce381]

Dublin - cane, leather strap wood backed duster. Also picked up by the ear by some teachers - was banned in 83. Left 85.

[@irismurray5970]

58% of what you earn by correcting the exam papers (extra income) .. not on your salary teachers have choice to correct or not. Ireland is ranked 5th in the world in Education./3rd in Europe System is not perfect but it has been fair for students entering into University/3rd level . It is a complicated marking system with 2 levels Higher and Ordinary .. with Higher 1 you get 100 points etc, then each University course has a point level that must be attained to get in. Like I said not perfect but fair, regardless of social economic status students have equal chance of entry. 3rd level fees alot cheaper than USA (2000 -3000e per year of your first UnderGraduate Degree for Irish/EU students as the Gov subsides it, more expensive if you live outside EU) but its accommodation that is the problem particularly if you need to travel away to Uni. I agree Irish is not a very popular subject for many students but the question of whether it should be compulsory for Leaving cert is a continung debate. Irish students tend to have an all round good education for excample History and Geography will be taught to Junior Cert level (15/16 Years) to all students,

[@wallythewondercorncake8657]

Education system obviously failed you

[@Fn-xj8hl]

School books have been free for primary school and up to junior cert for the last few years. It was extended to leaving cert in this year's budget.

[@Joseph13163]

Could be taken away in the next budget

[@Fn-xj8hl]

There isn't a politician in existence​who would think that is a good idea. Removing it would be a sure fire way to not be re-elected in the next election. @@Joseph13163

[@marylennon4]

​@@Joseph13163most schools have book rental schemes

[@0KiteEatingTree0]

Definitely had the cane or similar in one of the schools I attended in the 70s

[@nigelpluck3342]

7:10 6th year is the final year of second level education. Essentially, here in Ireland primary school is for 4 to 12 year olds, secondary school is 12 to 18, though you have the choice to leave school at 16 though not too many do

[@lynnegrant-mcmahon1267]

Scotland has its own eductions system as well. Education has traditionally been identified as one of the three institutions which mark the social and cultural life of Scotland as distinctive, especially when compared to England. (The other two are the law and the church.)

[@wallythewondercorncake8657]

Awwww, jock thinks he's special

[@lynnegrant-mcmahon1267]

Uncertain as to the immediate assumption that the comment above was: 1) from a male 2) from a Scot Personally, I know that Scotland and the Scottish are special.

[@DesertRoamerUK]

@@wallythewondercorncake8657 With their Monopoly money too.

[@floriaschnoebbe]

You guys should do a reacting to Irish video

[@Salix631]

State Examinations Commission. I live in Ireland and all my kids went through the system and I have never heard of the SEC.

[@fionamb83]

It's only been around since 2003. Not something we'd have heard about regularly anyway, it was just the examinations branch of the Department of Education before that and we never heard much about them either.

[@marylennon4]

They are definitely there,

[@JazHaz]

My school years were in the late 70's and early 80's. Caning was the punishment, dealt by the Headmaster. You would get a whack from the cane, a flexible wooden pole, across the palm of your hand. Depending on your offence, you could get struck several times. Luckily, I was a goody goody and didn't get caned.

[@reactingtomyroots]

That sounds horrific!

[@indoor_cinder3630]

No you didn't get the cane in the 70's and 80's, it was gone by then

[@kimoshea]

​@@indoor_cinder3630it didn't end until 1978. When we started secondary school in 1978 it had just been stopped

[@marylennon4]

Well i got the hands slapped off me with a ruler because my writing was untidy in the 70s​@@indoor_cinder3630

[@FC-PeakVersatility]

In state-run schools, and in private schools where at least part of the funding came from government, corporal punishment was outlawed by the British Parliament on 22 July 1986. In private schools, it was banned in 1998 (England and Wales), 2000 (Scotland) and 2003 (Northern Ireland). In the Republic of Ireland, corporal punishment was prohibited in 1982 but teachers were not liable to criminal prosecution for using it until it was actually abolished in 1997.

[@helencunningham3863]

You need to watch the film "the Magdelene Sisters". This will give you a good base to grip the scandal of the mother and baby homes in ireland. This is a time in our history that still affects this country. From here you will get a picture of the harsh reality that Irish people suffered for many years. This film is also just the tip of the iceberg . When you watch it, you will find it hard to believe that it is factual, so be prepared to be shocked and saddened . However, it is unfortunately true. Yes the Tuam mother and baby scandal is something you should look into and again be prepared for stark realities and sadness (it is also an ongoing topic here in Ireland). Thanks for you videos guys i watch every time you upload. LOVE AND BEST WISHES FROM IRELAND XX

[@kevmur1000]

A difference between Ireland and many other countries is that college/university admissions are based exclusively on the points achieved in the Leaving Cert. There are no interviews or essays or any other criteria used. The number of points you need for a particular course are determined entirely by supply and demand. Ie. If there are twenty places on a course and thirty students apply then the twenty highest scoring students will get the places. Courses like law and medicine always have the highest points, not because they are more difficult but because there are so many more applicants for these courses than there are places available.

[@trishloughman5998]

There are interviews and portfolios for a number of courses. There is also the way to bypass the LC by doing a PLC course and getting one of the places reserved for them.

[@kroche90]

You can do any course as an adult student if you are more than 2 years out of education.

[@wendywilson858]

I've learnt more when I left school and at 68 I'm still learning. Xx

[@Bopzibeel]

Yes. In 1977 I was punished by the Principal , Sr. Vincent. I was smacked several times across my palm with the edge of a metal ruler. She beat my left (dominant) hand so badly that it burst a vessel where my palm met my wrist. My father was called in work by the very frightened teacher. He walked across to the school, picked me up and brought me to the medical unit (he worked in a particular type of hospital) for treatment. Two Gardaì spoke to my dad that night. I went back to school a week later and the Principal was gone. We never saw her again. I was an infant at the time so my assault was a serious offence in the eyes of the law. I still have the scar on my wrist. My dad took no crap from the nuns. I Also started school at 3 and a half as I had exceptional reading and mathematical abilities and sat my leaving cert at 15, turning 16 on the day of my French exam. Sat 8 subjects and then immediately flew off to the US to take up a role as a progrmmer. Got my results over the phone. My grandson has exceptional abilities too, so I got together with his teachers in his first year and the school allowed him to retain all classes to his third year. He was delighted as he loves all of them. Except Irish, but that's mandatory unfortunately.

[@alexradojkovic9671]

3:25... In New South Wales, corporal punishment consisted of 2, 4 or 6 strikes of a cane rod across the palm of your hands, up into high school. (Try holding a pen after that) 7:55... We were allowed to leave school after 9 years from about the age of 15 in the 60s. I left at age 16 to work in a bank, and at 17 was a bank teller armed with an ancient 32 caliber colt. 22:35... Taxation systems are generally run on a sliding scale. Income is tax free up to $18k, rising up to around 45% for every $ over 180k in Australia

[@tamielizabethallaway2413]

Good Morning Lord and Lady Roots of KZbin fame! 😁 My private school looked exactly like those photos from the 1960's...and I was there from 1978-1982. I loved that school. Proper old fashioned learning, shut your mouth, (difficult for me even back then... 🙄) stop fidgeting, stop playing with your hair, put your face in your books, and write your answers! At the end of every day, ten minutes before the bell, we had to put our chairs up on our desks (to clear the floor for the cleaners), stand up straight facing the front, and chant our times tables from 2 x 2 all the way up to 12 x 12. At lunch time in the dining hall, we had rows of tables and we always sat in the same dining chair every day. I was Head Girl of my table, so I sat at the head of the table, (end seat) and the other children would sit along the side edges of the table. It was my job to place plates, cups and cutlery, fill the water jug for the table, and when Cook brought our pot of stew or dishes of food etc, it was my job to dish up each plate for my children. I was chosen as Head Girl, same as the other Head Girl's and Boys, because we were well behaved, responsible and smart pupils! 😁 (What went wrong I hear you say...😂) I laughed out loud when you said "paddling!" 🤣 The only paddles British parents MIGHT own, come from The Anne Summer's catalogue. (The only one likely getting a smack on the arse would be Daddy, if Mummy found out he'd been a very very "naughty" boy...😜) Yes we did have corporal punishment at the start of the 1980's still, but it was then stopped. Most British and European parents don't physically smack their children, especially these days. (I'm glad to see that's catching on over your side of the pond!) It teaches NOTHING, other than conforming out of fear. It also teaches kids to be more sneaky about their behaviour, rather than responsibility, truthfulness and accountability. In school we called official Corporal Punishment, The Cane. You'd be sent to the Headmaster's or Headmistress's office and they'd use a long wooden cane to spank your bum or palm of your hand a set number of lashes depending on your behaviour. Of course... I NEVER got the cane, I was a good girl! 😁 Although, my maths teacher did launch a blackboard rubber at my head in frustration when I was around 13. WHY? you ask...because I was too busy incessantly chatting instead of listening....LIES I tell you, it's all lies! 😇 Just in case you're wondering, I mean the chalkboard at the front. These days they tend to be green boards with chalk, or white boards mainly with wipe off pen. That's on account of Blackboards, being RACIST, allegedly...🙄 (and Baa Baa Black sheep apparently too!) Yet white boards are a thing...🤔 Anyhoo, a blackboard rubber, is not a contraceptive device! Well, now I think about it, it very well COULD be. The donk when it hits your head from one of those lethal bastards being flung across a room, would certainly kill off the mood for LURVE! 😳 It's basically a large wooden block, approximately 2" x 2", with a thick wad of felt stuck on one side, that is used to erase chalk. Those things were filled with lessons and lesson's worth of chalk dust. That thing doinked my left temple at about 60mph, and my mouth opened in pain and was promptly filled with chalk! Ugh! Even now it makes me feel like I'm choking just remembering it! 😵 That's the only Corporal Punishment I ever got at school, and that was NOT officially, nor probably legally truth be told. But he looked at me, shaking with frustration and on the verge of a nervous breakdown the poor sod, so I said nothing about it. I actually said nothing for the rest of the lesson so I guess it worked! (Temporary measure! I was too stunned and suffocated with dust, to do much else for the 20 minutes or so left of the lesson!) As I said, hitting children doesn't stop their behaviour, because I am still a chatterbox now! 😂 He who laughs last, laughs the longest.....😉 Lots of love sent to all of you. 😘😘😘 xxxxx

[@joannecunliffe8067]

Aw 🥰 but so true!

[@tamielizabethallaway2413]

​@@joannecunliffe8067I added onto it, just in case you wished to rethink your reply. 😂😂😂

[@joannecunliffe8067]

@@tamielizabethallaway2413 No, I meant to say that, honestly! I went to school in Bolton, England to a state primary school and a well known public (private) school (won a partial scholarship). I had board rubbers and chalk thrown at me in both schools (I was always talking in class!) and they hit me sometimes (not the board rubbers luckily!). We had the slipper but not the cane in my primary school (but no I didn't end up with a sore bottom or heinie as US kids might say - I was a goodie two shoes at school except for talking!). Obviously the school no longer has corporal punishment. There was no corporal punishment in the secondary school but many teachers were psychological bullies. The school was very old fashioned and formal. We were called by our surnames, some of the teachers wore cap and gown (black university robes) over their suits. A few teachers were more informal and wore sports jacket and trousers. Female teachers wore suits with skirts or (more informally) white blouses and skirts or trousers. The bullying was horrific, life changing and persistent. There was child abuse, both physical and sexual. The PE teacher who took swimming forced children who forgot their swimming kit to swim NAKED (happened to me)! It was awful and humiliating + was for the titillation of the horrific teacher. Looking back, I don't know why anyone would WANT to send somebody to a school like that. I'm glad that UK schools treat children better now but some secondary schools in rougher areas are like war zones. It's a postcode lottery (or rather is why parents bankrupt themselves to live in decent areas with better schools). I'm sure that happens in the US too..

[@tamielizabethallaway2413]

@@joannecunliffe8067 omg that sounds horrific! I had teachers who acted as though they had the right to yell things at you, or the one blackboard rubber incident that bounced off my skull. Yeah I was a good girl too, but couldn't for the life of me, shut the f√ck up! 😂 I'm still the same now. 😀 I had some unwanted "attention" shall we say, from boys, because I was the first girl to get boobs and wear a bra. Then it was girls who bullied me once I was around 14 and they were so spiteful. Evil bitches. One in particular I'd still want to punch in the face if I saw her now.... I'm 54 now! 🤣 Nope, you don't get over it, you absorb it and it becomes part of who you are as a result. Insecure, doubtful about trust, closing people off. I'm sorry you had a perve for a teacher, hopefully something vile happened to him. Sending you a big hug, my fellow chatterbox. 🤗 I love Steve, Lindsay and Princess Sophia. They're just so cute but not in a fake "have a nice day" way. Lovely family! 💖

[@reactingtomyroots]

Glad you survived and enjoyed the experience, Tami! Sounds like it was definitely memorable. 😅

[@courgette3401]

In England at 16 you take up to 12 ish subjects. Every subject requires 2 or 3 exams ( up to 3 hours each) this is over a few weeks. Sometimes 2 or 3 exams each day. It is exhausting. These exams aren’t multiple choice they are essays. Really hard to do.

[@vaudevillian7]

This is one thing I really try to emphasise to Americans on our education system

[@spruce381]

I went to an Irish school, and distracted teachers at every opportunity to talk and learn things I was interested in. Some other lad would stick up his hand and ask - is this in the exam? I didn’t care, if I had do in school from 9-3.30, I was going to make sure it was interesting and entertaining. I didn’t do well in my leaving, but had great fun in loads of jobs, and eventually ended up as a manager in BMW - they sent me to Uni. Not knocking all the lads and lasses who spent years preparing for the leaving, but it didn’t look like fun. Love your reactions ❤️👍🏽👍☘️

[@trishloughman5998]

That's the effect the grinds businesses had. Only learn stuff on the exam. I did all my exams pre-1981. Apart from Maths, where we saw the 1979 paper about 2 weeks before the Leaving, we never had books of exam papers, or 'prepared answers'. We learned the syllabus and made our answers up from the facts we had on the day of the exam. Pity the poster didn't cover the Leaving Cert. Applied option, which covers all the 'oh they should teach them this in school' things like mental health strategies, doing your taxes, budgeting, etc..

[@vaudevillian7]

We had an RE teacher in England that we absolutely did that with

[@MartinMcdonagh-ho4em]

Can i use the bathroom is the First frase we learn in Irish and nobody ever forgets it 😂 we weren't allowed go to the bathroom unless we asked in irish so we learned quick and never forgot

[@gregorytreacy7085]

An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leathras, mar se de huiligh, absolutely mincing up the spelling but god as a seven eight year old been trying to learn that, was difficult none the less especially with undiagnosed adhd back then. At least it was 2003-04 then

[@MartinMcdonagh-ho4em]

@@gregorytreacy7085 I was the same age back then and ya could barely tell that 2 + 2 is 4 and had to learn this i will never forget it though 🤣 and U had to add the mar se de huligh or u may stay there 🤣

[@jerrybarnes6611]

"An bhuil cead agam dul amach?". (May I go outside?) would usually do as many times the toilets were outside separate from the school building. Give the teachers credit, I never once heard the request refused. The usual response was a simple "Tá". (Literally means "you do have permission to go outside"). I remember my first day at Irish school where a poor misfortunate boy asked " An bhuil cead agam dul amach go dtí an lava" because he didn't know the Irish word (leithreas) for lavatory!

[@KennethCarroll-d6i]

The Irish education system is top notch . The opportunities for kids in Ireland are excellent

[@oliverreilly8883]

The progression through the Irish school experience play school (pre the official schooling) junior infants senior infants 1st to 6th class (Primary school ) At this point students will normally do entrance exams for secondary schools which can decide there stream Higher, Ordinary or foundation for their secondary school career not required - 7th class can exist for kids considered too young or not ready for secondary education i.e. messed up their entrance exam 1st to 3rd year (followed by the first national exam the junior cert) not required - 4th year can exists in some private schools because pay to win and as "transition year" where some students can take a break year to do less focused studies or something? not really structured 5th and 6th year (Followed by the Leaving cert) Then you have the mess of requirements to get into University most require a foreign language except Trinity which will except Irish as that requirement and different course will require different minimum grades in certain subjects

[@neasaduffy9550]

Transition year is available in most non-private schools with it being very structured these days, just not covering a set curriculum for the leaving

[@karencauser120]

Good morning 😊 The punishment at my primary school was the Cane. Either across your hand or your backside. A boy in my class was sent to the headmaster along with me as he had intentionally hurt me in class. I was asked in front of the boy if I wanted him to have the cane, I said no. He was always getting the Cane but after that incident he became a great friend and my bodyguard at school. I was left handed but in primary school I was made to write 3 pages of words each night until I could write with my right hand. As a result when I'm using cutlery I keep swapping them around and I do somethings right handed and others left handed. 🤯 Thankfully they wouldn't get away with doing that now.

[@dianeknight4839]

One of the best subjects at my senior school was Housecraft, it consisted of Cookery, doing Laundry. We also had a small room which was turned into like a bedroom, there we learned to paint, wallpaper,make and hang curtains, wire a plug, make up the bed. All this gave me a good grounding for the time when I had my own home. Needlecraft taught me to sew, knit, embroider, take measurements. Again all good for adult life. One thing everyone gets hit with at some time in our lives is death, nobody teaches you about what to do when someone dies and how to organise a funeral. I know it is somewhat a morbid subject but having this knowledge would really help, you are already grieving and you do not need the extra stress. They teach about Family Planning, Birth and drugs, so why not death.

[@Aidan_Norton]

The Irish education is divided into 3 levels. 1st level is Primary school (sometimes called national school for historic reasons). Kids start at age 4 or 5 and do 8 years at primary level. Years are called Junior Infants, Senior Infants, 1st Class, 2nd Class, 3rd Class, 4th Class, 5th Class and finishing up with 6th Class. Kids then go to 2nd level for 5 or 6 years. Starting off with 1st Year then 2nd and then 3rd year. At the end of 3rd year there are two weeks of exams called the Junior Certificate. Some kids will leave the educational system after 3rd year and the Junior Cert. Those that stay in the system then go into 5th year. There is no actual 4th year but there is a year called Transition year which is optional. So you go from 3rd year to Transition year then 5th year or straight from 3rd to 5th year. At the end of 6th year there is the final Leaving Certificate exams. We do a minimum of 7 subjects with the best 6 been counted towards our points total. With a maximum of 600 points available. 3rd Level is college or university and courses are allocated with points totals. You need enough points to ya to get the course you want. Hence the emphasis of exams and accumulating points.

[@Katelyn0606]

The SEC is the state examinations commision, A mother and baby home was where unmarried women could get sent away if pregnant, they would usually work there like in the laundries and when they had the baby it would be taken away and some rich families would secretly adopt the babies with no information such as like health info given. Most of these also had mass unmarked graves. In the leaving cert you could get max 625 points if you do higher maths since it carries an extra 25 points. Most people will get around 400 with 500-625 making your selection of courses easier. For example if you want to do like a difficult science course or law its usually around 520 points. If you want to do medicine you have to do the HPAT is usually early Feb and then you do the leaving cert and will need high high marks to just get in even with the HPAT and even if you get those insanely high marks you still in any course you might not get in because of random selection. If a certain amount of people get the same marks after other people with higher marks have been offered the course. So lets say you everyone who got over 540 has been offered a place and theres only 3 spots left with like 20 people with 539, 3 of those people will be offered it in round one. And if people dont accept the place the rest may slowly be offered. If someone doesnt achieve their desired points they may do a PLC (Post leaving cert) at a different institution and after around 1-2 years they can go back and apply for their course. There are ways to get into high point courses without these points such as with HEAR or DARE, HEAR offers a place to a student who fits all their boxes. You apply and basically if you are broke enough, have a medical card, and fit another of their qualifications you can get offered a spot if you just miss the points. Then DARE is specifically for people who maybe missed a lot of school due to an illness and time spent in hospital and one student usually will be offered a spot in the course. There is also people who do PLCs for certain degrees such as more science based subjects. Or apprenticeships for more hands on jobs. One of the parties for the dáil which has executive powers is planning to make the leaving cert open book which is possibly one of the worst ideas as it wouldnt prepare them for college as the leaving cert does teach people actual study skills. Lastly while the system is pretty broken it does allow for students to shape their own secondary education around themselves. While there is the mandatory english, Irish and maths students have a choice of many other subjects, you choose the other 4 out of subjects like music, geography, home economics, chemistry, biology, woodwork, and others and also one language usually german or french and in some schools spanish. As someone who went to an all irish school I do see a major problem with Irish speaking and it is alive and well in places like connemara but if you go to places like dublin which is where you would find most people who move to ireland such as Americans, British people and just other immigrants its not suprising there isnt a higher percentage of irish speakers yet I would say irish is alive and well whenever you have people willing to learn. Aloth of third years so 15 years old approx will go to a gaeltacht which is like a 3 week long summer camp where you do 2 hours of classes a day and then activities with a bunch of other kids all through irish and you stay overnight with a member of the community where you can only speak irish. But the main problem with the Irish school system is that the teachers dont make it immersive. If you walk into a french class the teacher will speak french to you. If you walk into an Irish class most will just speak a lot of english. Also primary school doesnt prepare kids well enough to do Irish in secondary. With some kids only knowing the very basics.

[@vaudevillian7]

Even when it was illegal we still had teachers in England that would occasionally throw blackboard erasers in the general direction of students in the 90s and early 2000s

[@laurapalmer6699]

I'm a secondary school teacher in Ireland. The system we have for the leaving cert is about to change, so hopefully we will see some improvements. They are trying remove all the focus on the final exam and introduce projects that can be worth a percentage of the final grade in all subjects that can be done before the students' final year.

[@reactingtomyroots]

That sounds like a good improvement! Thanks for the update :)

[@doreenbennett2454]

It's a legal requirement for all UK children to start school from 4/ 5 yrs to 18yrs. Term starts in Sept, so need to have a birthday in Aug.

[@Joseph13163]

The video is about the Education system in the republic not the UK

[@aileenbyrne8941]

20 years ago I was required to learn by heart numerous Irish essays. We were told if a question with ‘x’ word was in it right essay no 1. If a question with ‘Y’ word we were to right essay no.2. Barely any concept of what they meant!

[@helenryder8999]

My daughter did her Leaving Cert in 2013, she was a good student and enjoyed her time there. Her school did Transition Year and I think that a good programme is a really valuable addition to the curriculum. She was actually offered a place at Oxford University (unfortunately her LC grades slipped slightly below what OU needed) but she went to Trinity College Dublin instead with about 530+ points. University exams are similar to LC exams in that they heavily depended on a final sets of exams in years 3&4 combined. However she spent her third year in a US university and found that the exams held at the end of each semester much less gruelling and her 3rd year US results really boosted her for her final year back home. She now lives and works in the US, and is enjoying her life there.

[@noneofyourbeeswax01]

I was regularly struck and beaten by teachers in school, and the teachers all had their preferred methods. In Junior School (ages 7 to 11) there was a teacher who punished us by making us lay our hand on his desk. We would not be allowed to move that hand until he brought his favoured wooden skipping-rope handle - minus the rope - crashing down. W would never know exactly when it was coming, but when it did, we would be scot-free if we manage to pull our hand away before the blow landed.. so long as we didn't move prematurely. So of course, no-one ever escaped the wrath of the wooden handle. In Secondary school, along with the regular blackboard dusters and pieces of chalk flung at our heads for inattention, we had one teacher who administered a plimsoll (gym shoe) to the arse for more serious infractions. He named this shoe "Little Emily" (never found out who Emily actually was) and wore it out through regular application, so replaced it with "Little Emily II". Sad to say, I felt the sting of both. A slap upside the back of the head was such a regular occurrence in most classes that it warrants no further mention. Then of course there was the maximum corporal punishment given; The Cane. Being both articulate (i.e. gobby) and lacking in self-restraint, I was caned by both the Assistant Headmaster and the Headmaster, these being the only teachers authorised to administer a caning. And the Headmaster hated me with a passion, and that hate was reciprocated. The old bastard would quite literally take a run-up before swinging that whippy cane down on me arse. And my god it hurt. But I took it all without a complaint. Because I had a secret, one that I held close and never allowed the teachers or the Headmaster. My secret was that no punishment could ever be as bad as the consequence of the school contacting my parents about my behaviour. Yeah, the Past is another country, they do things different there...

[@weejackrussell]

Lovely video, I enjoyed every minute of it. The narrator was informative and accurate and your comments on what he said were relevant and considered.

[@junebillings9450]

You should try the movie "Philomena" starring Dame Judy Dench as a mother in a mother and baby home.

[@emmahowells8334]

Uniforms are worn in all schools in the UK and Ireland, has been that way for a long time. In Wales there is 17.8% that speak welsh but the government here is trying to increase that.

[@MrLeadb1]

When I was in primary school in Ireland, yes...corporal punishment was normal. I remember the teacher having a hand-crafted leather strap specifically made for hitting the hands, in total it was about 16 inches long and half an inch thick and 1 and a half inches wide, beautifully stitched and embossed with a handle. It was very well crafted.....I remember it well.😂 Depending on the 'crime', you could receive anywhere from 1 to 6 hits on the palm of the hand, alternating hands as you went into more that one hit. 'Crimes' involved....no home work done, throwing things in class, cursing, being a smart arse, fighting with other boys, stealing, bullying, getting lippy with the teacher, etc. Did it scar me for life?...not at all, it was just accepted part of scholing at the time.

[@annbottelli5682]

In England the Head Master had a bamboo cane. A very naughty child could get what was refered to as "6 of the best" 6 strikes on the backside. Just naughty would be a strike on the palm of the hand.

[@allenwilliams1306]

Two weeks of exams? Pah! In England & Wales we have two months of externally set and marked exams for 16 year-olds, and then again at 18.

[@amez1988]

They are externally set and marked and we also do them at 16 and again at 18. 10 subjects at 16 and 8 at 18. It’s over two weeks cos you mostly have two 3 hr exams per day. So your 8 subjects plus an second maths and a second English paper and then depending on what subjects you’ve chosen it could be stretched out over 3 weeks

[@NegativeAccelerate]

I have a brittish boyfriend. I was so jealous that he had a month to do his exams. You don't have time to revise any of the subjects the night before because you could have 3 exams the next day, all on different subjects. I sat two independently marked applied maths mocks at exam centres when I didn't have any other exams going on. I got over 97% in both of them. In the actual exam, when I had just pulled my second all-nighter, I got 85%. It's like college exams are so much easier when they are spaced out. I doubt anyone wishes for a timetable when they're all crammed on top of each other. Btw, I think the A levels are harder than the leaving cert. I just think that cramming all of your 8 subjects into a week and a half is rough. Rougher than having them be spaced out.

[@Kevc00]

We also have exams at 16 it's the Junior Cert. For Leaving Cert usually you have Christmas tests before Christmas, an entire mock leaving cert including oral and aural exams for languages in February, oral exams and projects in April, then your actual exams in June, which are 7 subjects split into at least 10 exam papers. Mine was 10 papers plus 2 listening tests in 7 days. A lot of papers like English and History are 3-3.5 hours long, and all your compulsory subjects English, Irish, Maths, had two papers, you also had to pass all three to pass your leaving cert.

[@caitlinlyons8376]

13:44 Irish here, if you know you know. Irish language class was the most enraging, stressful class I ever had. It gave me ptsd to study.

[@annfrancoole34]

Corporal punishment is still legal in private schools in every U.S. state except Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey and New York, legal in public schools in 17 states, and practiced in 12 of the states..

[@reactingtomyroots]

Maybe so, but pretty much unheard of it being enforced nowadays.

[@joemurphy1189]

The ‘left hand is evil’ thing is a bit of a canard. The reason people across the world, not just Ireland, were forced to write with their right hands is because they used to use actual ink from inkwells. If you’re writing left-to right across a page using your left hand the ink ends up smudged. Why it continued into the era of ballpoint pens is down to unthinking tradition and a slavish fear of change.

[@jacquieclapperton9758]

I'm left-handed and don't smudge my ink when writing with an ink pen. Just like the right-handers in my nursery and primary schools, I was taught to write ✍️ with my hand below the line. My father was forced to use his right hand and was adamant that it wouldn't happen to me. I have often been asked to write on special things because I apparently "have lovely writing".

[@lindawilson6419]

My boys attended Catholic school in the uk, they did full time nursery at the age of 3 this is within the school, they did assembly and reading and writing, if you didn't send them to nursery you possibly wouĺd not get them into reception class as these schools are highly desired ❤

[@sharonmartin4036]

Leaving Cert = School leaving certificate. The end of your schooling outside of University. In my school the boys were caned, and the girls were paddled.

[@lottie2525]

You're spot on with the lack of relevance of educational rote learning facts to cram them for exams when critical thinking and self-learning is far more useful these days when you can find information so easily and therefore don't need to remember it all.

[@williamcramond8660]

I left school in 1983 the same year the belt was banned it was a leather belt.

[@neasaduffy9550]

We had an american relative visit years ago who happened to be a teacher; when she looked at our 5th + 6th class maths curriculum (11, 12 year olds) she was surprised at our high education standards as we were covering maths that they didnt do until at least the 2nd/3rd year of highschool in the US. FYI we dont consider Kindergarten/playschool as part of the official start of our education in Ireland as its not compulsory. Children go to Kindergarten/playschool usually when they're 3/4 years old and start official education, primary school, at 4/5 years of age

[@alchristie5112]

The grading system has changed from A, B, C, … that was universally understood to some kind of number system that disguises the actual result and overly inflates how good the output is. It’s all to facilitate stats that skew the perception of we’ll the education system is doing

[@daveofyorkshire301]

When I was in school the headmaster used a cane and the PE teacher used a football boot, studs and all - it was called the Bessy. The rest of the teachers just threw chalk at you, slapped you around the head or sent you to the dummy table at the back of the class, where you were effectively ignored, or sent out of the class to stand in the hallway.

[@geofhughes9359]

A song that encapsulates the education system could be Pink Floyd's The Wall! Available on KZbin. You should watch the official video and listen to the lyrics. It resonated with me, and still does!

[@LittleVoodooDolly]

Oh my god, my schools gym is in the video. The last time I was in it was when I was doing my chemistry leaving exam 23 years ago and yet the second it flashed up on the screen I immediatley recongised it and got major shivers 🤣

[@jeanauguste-f7i]

the cane for the boys, and the girls got the slipper. Yep i saw a lot of this when i was at school in the 60's. We had to stand on our chairs in class, if the head happened to notice you knew you were in big trouble . Mine was a C of E school.

[@henryjackson6677]

We have a number of small areas in Ireland where Irish is spoken as the first language. I think that’s what he’s referring to with the 75,000. A lot more people can speak Irish but don’t use it on a daily basis.

[@gillfox9899]

I live in England but a friend of mine was born in the, Republic and moved to England as a child. He could only communicate in two languages and neither of those were English. In the home he spoke Gaelic and the rest of the time in Latin

[@helenryder8999]

There is also the opportunity to spend part of the summer holidays in a Gaeltacht school where the students MUST speak Irish all day (break the rule, get sent home!). This is paid for by the parents. My daughter went to Coláiste Lurgan for two summers and her Irish improved immensely when it was taught and used in a less formal setting.

[@JSmith-xp2ot]

Guys, watch 'A song for a Raggy boy' and herself can watch 'Magdeline Sisters' then both of you watch 'Philomena' and pile those tissues high. (you may both require some counseling after watching.) As Americans, the latter, Philomena, should be of particular interest.These movies WILL open your eyes and trust me, i'm a hard on the outside str8 lad, not easily stirred...........these had me angry and in peices.

[@kevmur1000]

The numbering system often causes confusion for people who are not familiar with it. When he talks about repeating sixth year he is referring to the final year of secondary school, which culminates in the Leaving Cert exam. The years are numbered as follows: Primary School: 1. Junior Infants 2. Senior Infants 3. First Class 4. Second Class 5. Third Class 6. Fourth Class 7. Fifth Class 8. Sixth Class Secondary School: 9. First Year 10. Second Year 11. Third Year 12. Fourth Year/Transition Year* 13. Fifth Year 14. Sixth Year *Fourth Year or Transition Year is a less academically focused year which is optional in most schools. In this year students generally do work experience and learn life skills such as first aid, self defence and running a mini-company. Traditionally the majority of students skipped fourth year and went straight from third into fifth. Many schools did not offer fourth year at all, though I think they have to offer it now.

[@terryloveuk]

If I, as an (Brit - sub-species English) am allowed to have thoughts on this, I was shocked to hear only 1.5% of the Irish are what I assume are conversational in the Irish language. I feel it should be at least into double digits at least. I don't know about the Wales and the Welsh language but I feel it should be the same. I know for a long time under English rule the powers in control were trying to force English as standard, we're past that, and I feel it's important to correct things and retain and boost cultural identities, (chick in and include Scottish Gaelic as well). I know in todays world English language is needed (because now because of the American dominance rather than that of the British Empire) but do not abandon cultural identities. And he is right, education should be made enjoyable (fun if you will - my experience made history as boring as hell until I got older and started looking into aspects never included in the formal teachings). Some things (like languages probably) have to be mostly by rote, maybe include some development of the languages from their early to modern. Critical thinking and understanding of why and how societies and technologies change are in a world where both are changing at an ever increasing rate, basic fundamentals are important as foundations but innovation is also important. BTW, I'm 71 now, I can remember the late 1950s and 1960s, we didn't have a paddle but a cane for corporal punishments (or a ruler across the hand for under 10s - it stung like hell). One gym teacher at secondary school used a plimsole (gym shoe) as it didn't leave marks like a cane could (I avoided both can and plimsole).

[@Joseph13163]

Know the 1.5 % refers to the areas where it is a community language ,fluent speakers is much higher around 250 000 which is about 5% and also they are quite a lot of fluent speakers in Northern Ireland,but obviously that does not appear in the irish census would be in the british census however he is only refering to the republic.Its not good but its better than that it was.No it would be better in wales though they are people in really remote areas of ireland who have no english at all and not very old people and i have that from the horses mouth,in wales there would be much more mind you probably nobody who can't speak english though.8% of irish schools are all irish medium schools they generally churn out fluent speakers or at least nearly fluent and thats quite a big %.However its the traditional areas where the problem is as employment opportunities are non existent and those that move there are usually english speakers.

[@tracyl1368]

My late Mum and her siblings were taught Irish at school in the 30's and 40's but couldn't really speak Irish the only thing they couldn't do was add up in English....till the day she died she could only do it in Irish. It's mainly English spoken and all forms are in both.😊

[@terryloveuk]

@@Joseph13163 I know of one Welshman (he's a streamer, CDawgVA) who was taught at a Welsh only school, and can speak fluent Welsh. He's from North Wales, I thinkit should be more common, down south also, that some/more Welsh is taught and spoken more frequently. That's not for me to advocate though, the Welsh Assembly should be doing that.

[@terryloveuk]

@@tracyl1368 I know about the forms, back in the 1970s I worked for BT maintaining the TV Licence etc printing programs, we got through masses of paper and every 6 months I'd have to tweak the programs, for the English bits and form it fairly simple adjusting where the print fields were, but the Welsh parts... it seemed no 2 Welshmen could agree on the wording 😆 and the print fields moved all over the place as the pre-printed parts changed every time 🤣

[@Joseph13163]

@@terryloveuk My niece was educated in all irish secondary school and is now a doctor in New zealand .

[@jaynebrookes2486]

At my junior school the boys had the cane across the backside. The girls had the slipper to the same area. Also had class punishment like others have said about the old blackboard rubber thrown at us kids. Teacher also used to walk up and down the aisles between the desks, if he didn't think you were concentrating whilst writing you would have a wooden ruler flicked onto the back of your hand.

[@kittyjohnstone5915]

The Scottish punishment of choice when I was young was the tawse. A longish leather strap about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch thick. There was a “fringe” of two, occasionally 3, “fingers”.

[@MayJay1812]

I'm almost 30 and when I was in secondary school, in my school when you started in your 1st year you had to do EVERY subject which included subjects like: 1. Woodwork 2. Metal work 3. Tech Graph 5. Home economics (cooking etc) 6. Business Studies 7. Art Could have been more but I don't remember Then in your 2nd year you'd get to choose which to do for your 2nd and 3rd year (up until the Junior Cert, which is basically an easier version of the Leaving Cert. Doesn't account for graduation but it did determine whether we would continue our classes in Ordinary or Higher level for the next 3 years) I can't remember if we got to choose again for the next 3 years or if we had to do the same ones we chose in 1st year, but I'm pretty sure you could swap if you wanted. In some schools you had to pick those subjects before you started secondary school which I think was worse. It was better to try them all for 1 year and decide then! ❤

[@gregorytreacy7085]

I'm almost 30 too, sounds like a private school yours, we had a basic ass education, except for sciences and buisiness, history or art as a choice.

[@John-i8k9n]

Like most children in Ireland I went to a Catholic school in the 1970s. We were regularly beaten by the teachers for no particular reason. One day my teacher a nun locked me in a dark cupboard for two hours. There was sexual abuse mainly by priests or Christian brothers I was lucky it didn't happen to me but I was aware of other cases. He mentioned being left handed, the Catholic Church thought that if you were left handed you were in league with the devil. You were forced to use your right hand if you didn't you were beaten. He also mentioned Tuam babies, there was an institution for unmarried mothers in galway. After the babies were born some were adopted or sold to wealthy Catholics in America. All the weak babies who didn't who didn't survive were buried in disused septic tanks within the grounds. Ireland has changed for the better we had a referendum on both equal marriage and abortion rights which easily passed.

[@thomassharmer7127]

It's simply not true to say "The Catholic Church thought you were in league with the devil if you were left handed". It may have been an ignorant peasant superstition to think that in some instances, but there was a commonly held educational prejudice in many countries, including England, that left-handedness was a kind of handicap that children should be trained to overcome.

[@Bazk01]

In Scotland I started Primary 1 at 4.5 years old. (It was usually around 5 years old) I was in Primary 3 when they stopped corporal punishment in schools. It was being bent over a desk and spanked in Primary school, it was a leather belt across the hands in secondary school. We don't have a leaving certificate. You can leave at 16 with nothing. I left at 17 with the usual number of standard grade and Higher level subjects by sitting end of year exams and went on to college. The Scottish have a different Educational authority than England and other countries in the UK. We studied standard grade (used to be O-grades) and higher subjects, the English Study for their GCSE and A-Level exams instead. Our higher education is free if you qualify for the course you want.

[@jaqian]

3:57 Im 53 so experienced the "corporal punishment", in school. My family moved around a lot and I attended 4 different primary schools. None of them had priests or nuns or any kind if religious as teachers. There were no paddles, it was mostly a 130cm/12inch ruler and most teachers would slap ut across the pads of your fingers so ut didn't hurt. It wasn't meant to, it was just to stop you carrying on. This was replaced by detention and/or writing lines (between 500 & 1000 - of I must not do blah blah blah). Absolute waste of time, mich preferred the slap as it was over and done with.

[@emilyjayne77]

I myself are an hands on learner. Practical things. I am 47 with ADHD and I feel that school completely failed me even back then! I can’t stand that our children are forced into the education system. I have 3 kids and only one has gone on to university (law student) the other two, like me are ADHD and are very practical but not so academic. They’re both working full time in jobs they both love 🧡

[@emilyjayne77]

If I could do my time again I would’ve homeschooled them all

[@reactingtomyroots]

Yeah, our modern education system is definitely geared towards one path and the kids/students who don't fit into that model suffer.

[@alibennett78]

Alot of us have irish that we were taught in school but because there is alot involved in it with grammar its difficult me personally yes i have cùpla focal couple of words i wouldnt be able to have a big conversation woth some one who is fluent in the irish language

[@joannecunliffe8067]

It's very similar in the UK as well. You have 'mock' GCSE's just after Christmas (Year 11 - 15-16yo )then the remaining time just before May/June to study and cram as much as you can. The GCSE exams stretch over two weeks or more (for all the subjects) and it is gruelling and exhausting. AS/A-Levels are similar. Teenagers have nervous breakdowns. The cruellest thing is you have no idea how you have done until AFTER term ends (for both GCSEs and AS/A-Levels). In fact the results come out just before the end of the summer holidays. You spend the entire summer biting your nails and hoping and praying you haven't fluffed too many questions because (1) your entrance to (academic) 6th form often depends on decent GCSE results (it's slightly different for vocational qualifications) and university places depends on you getting at least specified grades in particular subjects. If you dip below the A-Level grades you should have had then you depend on 'clearing' allowing you a place at one of the universities. My grades were just below but as there had been a problem in teaching at the school, we had a 3-way conference call with my (ex-)head teacher, the head of the IT course and myself. I managed to convince the wonderful lecturer (whom I thanked recently) to let me in. Many retake A-Levels or just do something else. There is nowhere near enough support in the UK for skilled and talented people like electricians, fitters, plumbers, plasters (which is an amazing skill) and others who are not academic but have plenty to offer the world. There is a lot of unnecessary snobbery about (often unnecessary) academic qualifications at the expense of learned skills. One of my friends did badly in his A-Levels results (and he knew he would), packed his things in bags and a rucksack in advance and just left home without telling anybody because he was so ashamed! That's awful and he is very talented in media and photography. I remember throwing up on the day of my A-Level results because I was so scared and stressed out about them. The UK and Irish education systems have problems as you can see!

[@joannecunliffe8067]

Addendum: You might find it useful to do a KZbin video on UCAS (the UK University admissions body/process) as it would probably clear up some areas of higher UK education in your mind.

[@reactingtomyroots]

That sounds like the definition of cruel--having to wait all summer to find out your results--but yes, please enjoy your break. 🧐

[@ChristopherOnWheels]

You two popped up in my thoughts this afternoon. I went to the next village to buy fish. Then I remembered how much Steve like our Tudor buildings. Maybe take a look at Lavenham in Suffolk. I think it will blow your mind. (It’s a 5 minute drive from mine).

[@AngelaVara-i4l]

Back in the 60s we had the blackboard rubber thrown at us and the teachers would clip us round the ears...good old day lol

[@reactingtomyroots]

Yikes!

[@alchristie5112]

In Scotland we had “the belt”, a thick leather strap that was used to swipe at the outstretched hands as punishment. I think it ended around 1983. To be honest, though, we all knew of the consequences. Since then behaviours in high schools have continued to go down; no consequences for bad behaviour and everyone is entitled. Scotland has preschool / nursery (equiv to kindergarten) + 7 years primary school (starting 4/5) + up to 6 years high school (can leave at 16). We have certificates exams at end of 4th, 5th, and 6th years.

[@Micheal123mil]

Thank you for doing a video on Ireland

[@darrenbyrne5465]

58% is not taxed. The guy doesn't understand the Irish tax system. The highest rate payable would be 52% on every euro earned after 70k and that would only be the top 10% of earners. Also the Leaving Cert points system is used to determine who gets in to which college courses. Since college is free doing it this way is far cheaper and stops discrimination based on religion, race or social status rather than assessing individual students applying for each course.

[@pattralee]

Add 6.5% pension Contribution

[@littlescamps]

I was in school with corporal punishment. We had a slipper and the cane!

[@michaelvdunne]

The Leaving Cert exam covers many subjects from French Spanish Italian Greek (modern and ancient) Russian Chinese Latin to mathematics physics chemistry Irish English history geography applied mathematics. I have probably left out a few subjects. You make your own choice to which subjects you will sit. It means that you have a pretty rounded education. At the end of your years in school.

[@collettemchugh9495]

In my high school we had French or Irish and you don't get a say on either one, but in my opinion all children that start school should learn Irish, in the small town I am in they have an Irish speaking school now, and I live in the North of Ireland.

[@jhnshep]

In ireland i remember our language teacher taking the book and throwing it in the bin, 'it was written by paleans' this guy is taking the piss, you dont have to pay

[@helgazoomer1461]

I haven't watched this video yet, but I just wanted to congratulate you on your appearance on CNN and also on your part in getting this Newborn Programme introduced to the US!

[@tuppyT]

Also school books are now free from start to finish, primary and secondary for all pupils.

[@marcus3261]

Yes I was attending school when corporal punishment was aloud and a paddle was never used it was more like a cane you were hit with on the hands with a heavy force, also a leather strap weighted with coins inside the strap, these were used to slap the palm of your hands and it really hurt you. Also other forms of punishment were being made to wear a large conical shaped paper hat with a large letter D written on it, the letter D stood for the name, Dunce, which means slow of learning or stupid. Other ways of punishing children were teachers pulled your hair, slapped you in the face, locked you in a cupboard. Make you stand on your desk and the teacher would ridicule you and make your class mates do the same. Hit and punch you on the head, kick you, detention also. All of my school years were filled on a daily basis of very strict teachers and alot fear. Once i witnessed a female teacher put a 5 year old boy across her lap as she sat on a chair in front of me and all the other children. She pulled down his trousers and underwear and slapped him on the ass so hard with her bare hand. The boy screaming hystericaly. All of this because he was a few minutes late to school. I bet he was traumatized by this event i know I was. that is why i still remember this 55 years later.

[@CraftingKindness-tb1mv]

Some kids do kindergarden before Primary school here too ....

[@caitrionakenny999]

I'm an old school Leaving Cert student. I don't understand the H grade system. I love the Irish language but I had to seek it out after school to enjoy it.

[@christinecoombs3536]

I’m from Australia and started the school in the 60’s. Kindergarten ( or the first year of school ) started at 4-5. I was 4. It was proper school. We learned spelling, maths etc. . However, the system has changed now and children start in kindy at 5-6.

[@alibennett78]

The tuam mothers baby home omg thats going to be a tough one

[@TanyaRando]

We have loads of ambidextrous and left handers in my family, the older generations were forced to use their right hands. I was in school when there was still corporal punishment, but I was a swot, so I never got that😇😇. They were very free with it, for the boys mainly. I was taught by half nuns, half normal teachers, until ages 11, then went to a protestant school.

[@jessgunn6639]

The fact that most irish teachers hated Irish doesn't help!

[@tazmc9941]

Mother and baby homes in Ireland were institutions where unwed mothers were sent to hide their pregnancies and "repent" for their perceived sins. Many women faced harsh conditions, neglect, and abuse, while their children were often treated as commodities. The government, Gardaí, local priests, and courts all played roles in enforcing this system, perpetuating shame and secrecy. Tragically, many children who died in these homes were found in a septic tank, highlighting the appalling neglect. Those who were adopted often faced a lack of identity and were sometimes sold under false pretenses. Others were fostered out to work for farmers, becoming cheap labor and enduring further abuse from their foster families. Many were sent to institutions where they were forced into hard labor, treated poorly, and suffered additional trauma. The legacy of these homes is a painful reminder of societal stigma and systemic failure. I have documents of true experiences of many of the women who were their and what they went though im the only person that has it apart from the government how i can not say also my father was a child in those horrible places unfortunately their suffering many passed it on to their children ive sat there listening to many people's sufferings and its amazing how they are still here to tell their story to this day you should do a video on it but try get the facts the real hardcore of what went on in those places it was so so bad it would bring you to tears children were subjected to trials of unapproved medications and treatments all in the name of research children that never made it out alive their remains were sold to medical schools and universities their remains were subjects for dissection and study . They didnt just destroyed a mother and child but also the next generation

[@carolinegrant7788]

Each country within the UK has it's own , totally independent , Education System. There is no over- arching authority. In Scotland during the 50's & sixties when I was at school , the punishment for any perceived bad behaviour was a leather strap with split ends called 'the tause' or the belt, which was applied forcefully to the palms of your hands. Being a total rebel, I was once offered this delightful experience & I politely refused - you can imagine how that went down! I won that battle. Yea me.

[@davidfradgley751]

Funny story, true story, the only summer weather we get every year, is during the exams 😂. I exaggerate, but only slightly 😅 But in all seriousness, the Irish Language is recovering thanks to all irish schools (all subjects taught in Irish, speak irish all day) but in English speaking schools its taught like English like a 1st language when its not, it needs to be taught like a 2nd language like Spanish or German.

[@gemmabarnes]

The mother and baby homes were homes that an unmarried woman who fell pregnant before marriage would go to, to have the baby and to give up the baby for adoption. They were very strict with limited contact with baby once born and daily duties. As they thought people should have babies and the deed in marriage.

[@DeeDeeLowryLegs]

I was shocked that the last Magdalene laundry was shut in 1996 in my kids lifetime

[@vinnyganzano1930]

​@@DeeDeeLowryLegs As a lapsed Catholic I have to say, being an atheist makes me much happier. I detest that religion, funny how being hospitalised by your fundamentalist, emphasis on mental, father.

[@clivethewritermadenglishma4042]

You guys don't get it still. School is NOT pre school. Kids START school at 4/5, Pre school would be 3/4 . Most kids go through to age 17/18