Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

PATHWAYS INTO LCA 45weren’t told that, it wasn’t explained all that stuff. (Jackie, 22, completedLCA, home duties)On reflection, Jackie felt someone should have explained the details ofthe LCA and assessed if they were suitable for the programme.I think they should have just took me aside and said look [Jackie] this is the wayit is, if you want to go on to college and get a good job you should do a straightLeaving…I think they should have explained it more to me that straight Leavingis more beneficial to me. It benefits more to me than the Applied Leaving becauseI was like a good student, like I sat and listened in class, I wasn’t just sittingthere or just you know talking. So I sat and listened I wanted to learn. And thenthey should have known that, because I'd most of the same teachers that I had inthird year in fifth and sixth, they were there, they should have known that I wasa good student, I'd listen and learn and study. They should have told me, not toldme but explained that to me. (Jackie, 22, completed LCA, home duties)Deirdre regrets taking the LCA and feels she was misdirected by herteachers. She thinks that given the choice, 15 year old students will alwaysdecide on the ‘easier option’ without fully understanding the consequencesof their decision. Although she enjoyed school in junior cycle andperformed well in her exams, she struggled with some of her subjects andwas attracted to the LCA as she heard it was ‘easier going’:You get days off, you get to go out working, you get, they bring you away on tripsand all, which they do and when you’re fifteen and you’re hearing that, you don’tcare, you know, you’re not going to be thinking, oh shit, in two years I’m going tobe finished school and I’m going to do something with this. (Deirdre, 22,completed LCA, unemployed)Linda had not heard of the LCA before her career guidance counsellorcame in to her Junior Certificate class and encouraged them to consider it.She believes she did not receive enough information about the LCA, inparticular, the limitations of the qualification for entry to third level:What do you think he missed out on telling you the most?That after I finish…I couldn’t get into courses because, I couldn’t get intobusiness and that because I didn’t have points like.When he was giving you that information, he didn’t mention it?Now it was short and brief when he came in and said it to us, because people wereasking questions and stuff and he said when you finish it, it’ll be usually based ondistinction and merit and pass, and the normal Leaving Cert will be points like,but he didn’t say you wouldn’t get a good college course out of it, you know, so wejust thought, it’s probably the same like, it’s just different, over the two years.(Linda, 21, completed LCA, student)Linda feels that giving students the option to take LCA at 15 years ofage is a bad idea as they will invariably choose the easier route. She feelsthat LCA grades should count in accessing third level:Just in general I just don’t think it’s a good course for people that age, you know,really I don’t. I just, I think a lot of people probably will like it but a lot ofpeople I know wouldn’t like it, not at that age when you’re given a choice to pick,