Father and daughter get Leaving Cert results together

If you were wondering about returning to education, Alan Hand is a sterling example. Hand decided to go back and finish his schooling after having become unemployed in 2013. He received his Leaving Certificate alongside his daughter Siobhan this August.

Father and daughter studied for the Leaving Cert at the same time. However, Hand says he did not talk to Siobhan about the exams. He believes that “teenagers are under enough pressure as it is.”

“I didn’t want to be saying, ‘This is what I got, what did you get?’ but there was friendly banter.”

Hand hopes to work for a year and then continue onto third-level education. He is considering studying English and History at NUI Maynooth. His daughter is keen on studying journalism.

One fifth of adults don’t have a Leaving Cert

Hand was one of many thousands of Irish people who left school without completing their education. Niamh O’Reilly, CEO of AONTAS noted that, because of this, many adult learners sit the Leaving Certificate exams.

“It’s easy to forget that many adult learners are amongst those sitting the Leaving Cert each year and waiting nervously to get their results. In Ireland, 21 percent of people aged 25 to 64 have never completed upper secondary-level education, so it’s not surprising that a high number return to education to complete the Leaving Cert each year,” she explained.

“For somebody who may have been out of formal education for a long time, or who has had negative educational experiences in the past, it is a huge step to return to learning and to participate in Leaving Cert exams.”

Hand returned to education through the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme. He believes more and more adults will pursue lifelong learning in future.

“Adults are not taking their situations lying down, they are upskilling, getting new qualifications and preparing themselves for future employment,” he said.

“It is an extremely tough decision for young people at the age of 16 or 17 years old to decide what they would like to do with their future. Often teenagers slip through the net but, for those who missed the opportunity to access education the first time around, there are other options out there.”