Concern about working students

Part-time working by second level students during the school year has a noticeable effect on their progress, according to the Deputy Principal of Cross & Passion College, Noel Clare.

He says it results in a higher level of non-attendance, and this can have particularly detrimental effects on subjects like Maths, the national failure rate of which has been a point of concern.

He says that since he started in teaching, the part-time working situation has become a much bigger factor in school absenteeism, especially after a weekend.

In the meantime, he is very happy with the overall results in the 2008 Leaving Certificate classes, which were given to the students last week.

"The students in general did very well in this year's Leaving Cert results, and most seemed to have achieved what they want," he said. "The English results stood out particularly well."

Brian Byrne.

(The full story on this issue is on the Kilcullen page of this week's Kildare Nationalist.)