Mr. Ryan Sharpe:

My main concern is with the subjects, which fall under an umbrella. Everything in maths is just covered under maths. English literature and English language are covered under one subject. That is mainly what is stressing me out because there is so much to learn and remember. It is categorised to the point that we cannot study individual subjects. I am also stressed because the leaving certificate is so important and is put on a pedestal. It basically decides your life. Everyone says there are other ways to go through it but really the leaving certificate is the main focus for everyone under the age of 18.

With regard to supports, counselling needs to be more generalised and supported in mainstream schools. A big concern I have is that guidance counsellors are not counsellors and counsellors are not guidance counsellors. They should be treated as per their role. It seems many guidance counsellors nowadays are dropping the guidance and giving advice and listening. While I can see what they are trying to do and how they are trying to help, that is not their job. Guidance counsellors are there to support us in our educational health and provide a stepping stone to what we might do in the future. Counsellors are not in mainstream schools enough for leaving certificate students to have the ability to speak about what is stressing them or going on in their heads. It seems that when the leaving certificate is over, students are expected to forget about mental health because counselling services are not provided after the leaving certificate. Schools expect us to just drop everything and be okay.