TheCity

Tag: lockdown

  • More uncertainty after errors found in Calculated Grades

    More uncertainty after errors found in Calculated Grades

    As worrisome as the 2020 Leaving Certificate exams were, many of the students felt relieved after the decision was made to move to Calculated Grades instead. Little did they know that the autumn would bring more concerns. Laura Matjusaityte explored how the calculated grades affected students this year.

    Photo taken by Sinéad Cochrane. Sourced from Flickr.

    It all started on April 10th when the decision was made to postpone Leaving Certificate exams due to the dangers posed by Covid-19. 

    As the usual order of things was jeopardised by the pandemic, a further decision was taken and the Leaving Certificate examinations were replaced by a system of Calculated Grades.  

    In order to forecast students’ grades the system took the estimated marks, decided by teachers and reviewed by other authorities, and predicted the grades that students would have received if examinations would have taken place. 

    Many students interviewed by TheCity.ie reporters back in March believed that Calculated Grades would be the best option in such circumstances. 

    When the results came out on the 7th of September a wave of errors followed. 

    Oisin Tiernan from Wexford shared his experience saying that he was “delighted with the grades” that he got and was able to secure the CAO place that he wanted. 

    “For the most part, I think 95 per cent of people I’ve talked to have been happy with their grades”, Oisin said, acknowledging that in his opinion, Calculated Grades were “a good decision”. 

    “I got grades that I was very happy with, that I felt reflected my work perfectly”, Oisin added. 

    Oisin secured his first choice CAO place in UCD studying Politics and International Relations. 

    The Department of Education and Skills acknowledged on September 30th that two errors occurred in Calculated Grades, according to independent experts’ from the Education Testing Service (ETS). 

    To calculate the grades, students’ scores from Irish, English and Maths as well as scores from two subjects with the highest marks were meant to be used. Instead, the system calculating the grades added two subjects with the weakest marks. This led to some students receiving lower grades than what their scores would have actually been. 

    The second error occurred on how algorithms regarded students’ grades on the extreme ends of the scale, i.e students who score from 99 percent to 100 percent and zero percent to one percent.

    According to the ETS statement, the second error would not have had a “magnificent impact on results”. 

    Another student named Kate McAuliffe secured her first choice in Law in UCC. She said she was “happy enough” with her results, even though she felt she got “downgraded in some of the subjects”. 

    “I only know one person who didn’t get their first choice in CAO and they were in a grind school,” Kate said.

    “Overall in my own experience and looking at my own friends group, I think a lot of people were quite happy,” she added. 

    Kate has rejected the UCC offer as she accepted a place in University of London instead. She is studying online at the moment and waiting impatiently until she will be able to move to London. 

    The Department of Education and Skills issued a statement last week acknowledging that nearly 7,000 grades will be increased after the errors will be fixed, which will affect over 6,000 students. 

    It was noted that no student will receive lower grades due to the process. 

    This means that many students who will receive higher grades will be eligible for their first CAO choices. 

    CAO released a statement declaring that all students with upgraded results will be included in the Round 4 offers. 

    It is still unknown if all 6,100 students affected by the errors in Calculated Grades will be facilitated to commence to the courses which they otherwise would have been offered in the first place.

    It is estimated that there will be another 450 new applications to Technological University Dublin after the fourth round, according to TUD spokesperson Melda Slattery. “We believe that approximately 20 percent, around 85 students, will be entitled to receive an offer from TU Dublin”, she added. 

    As the new academic year already started a few weeks ago, many students joining through Round 4 will have to catch up with their peers. 

    Ms Slattery acknowledged that the university will do “everything possible” to facilitate new applicants. 

    By the time of the publication the Higher Education Authority and CAO did not respond to questions on how they are planning to facilitate all students with upgraded results in courses of their choice. 

  • Watch: How do students adapt to a new way of life?

    Watch: How do students adapt to a new way of life?

    ​In ​one way or another the crisis brought by Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on everybody’s lives. Three 3rd year journalism students from TU Dublin show how TheCity.ie how they are embracing these strange and uncertain times.

    Niamh shares how much her daily life has changed since her college and the hostel she worked at have closed due to the pandemic. She also gives some creative ideas on how to enjoy the time in lockdown and remain positive.

    Eric shares his experience on what it is like working in a supermarket during lockdown and how he finds a balance between completing his studies and working long shifts.

    Gavin gives viewers a sneak peak into what it feels like to quarantine in rural Ireland, with all its pleasures and struggles.

  • Watch: New quarantine hobbies

    Watch: New quarantine hobbies

    Five third year TUD student journalist’s set themselves the challenge of learning a new hobby, and reported on the results for TheCity.ie.

    In March 2020, as part of a set of measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, all schools and colleges in Ireland closed. While we’re all usually looking for more spare time and many people would usually be delighted to be able to stay at home and relax, it’s a different story when you’re not allowed leave save for grocery shopping and going for a walk.

    Being stuck in isolation, boredom and anxiety can quickly set in, to keep their spirits up and keep each other busy, this group of five student journalists challenged each other to learn a new skill over two weeks and monitor their progress. Each person’s challenge was chosen by someone else in the group and this short film shows how they got on.

  • Watch: Home-schooling during the pandemic

    Watch: Home-schooling during the pandemic

    As countries started to impose lockdowns around the world, schools and other teaching institutions were the first ones to be affected. However, the teaching process continued. Third year TUD student journalists report for TheCity.ie on the impact moving from classrooms to computer screens has on teachers and students.

    Two primary school teachers share how they had to adjust their teaching methods to be able to deliver lessons online and what they find the hardest in the process of home teaching.

    Along with this, some students explain what it feels like sitting in an online class and the struggles some students might encounter while studying online. The same Leaving Cert students also touch on their experiences and opinions on the state of the important exams and the uncertainty that surrounds them.

  • Watch: What are students up to under lockdown – routine in quarantine

    Watch: What are students up to under lockdown – routine in quarantine

    This video was recorded for TheCity.ie by four third year TUD student journalists. They documented their daily routines at home during the covid-19 lockdown. These unprecedented times have cut the college year short for them, however it didn’t stop them from getting their assigned work done.

    From exercising, to reading, to eating and to painting, these students have found many ways to keep themselves occupied during these difficult times. They documented all of their activities in this short video. The video goes to show that even during times such as these, you can keep entertained and enjoy yourself at home.

  • Watch: Exercise for athletes during quarantine

    Watch: Exercise for athletes during quarantine

    For many people, exercise is an essential part of anyone’s lifestyle. Whether it’s a run in the morning, a couple of hours in the gym or even a few exercises at home – for athletes, it’s not a lifestyle, it’s their life. Third year TUD student journalists take a look for TheCity.ie.

    Athletes need to stay in shape in order to reach their peak condition, and with the sudden shutdown of all available facilities, athletes find themselves at a serious disadvantage. Many of the most hardworking and determined have had to adapt and use whatever they can to their advantage.

    Their exercises may seem silly to some, but they’re so important to others – even now, exercise can be used as a form of charity; to the frontline workers putting their lives on the live every night. We look at a variety of stories, from athletes to our own journalists, finding out how much their exercise means to them and why they are doing it so passionately.

  • Watch: State of mind in lockdown – the impact of quarantine on those managing mental health disorders

    Watch: State of mind in lockdown – the impact of quarantine on those managing mental health disorders

    For some, the mind can be a form of imprisonment in itself. Living with mental health disorders can be a daily struggle for many people. What happens to those people when a global pandemic hits, and the country must go into lockdown? TheCity.ie’s Kate Brayden, Cameron Weymes and Ayumi Miyano report.

    The level of anxiety which the nation is currently experiencing is just a sample of what those dealing with mental illness have to cope with on an ordinary day.

    For those who experience a heightened feeling of worry, fears over the health of family members and friends are extremely common, as well as fears regarding their own health. Covid-19 and the emphasis on hygiene, protecting others, and daily death tolls is causing severe stress for many. Being unable to physically see loved ones in person can take a drastic toll, and can lead to a sense of hopelessness and loneliness.

    In TheCity.ie’s video project on mental health during lockdown, Kate Brayden interviewed her twin sister Eleanor, who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and severe anxiety, as well as Eleanor’s boyfriend Dan, who has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism and agoraphobia.

    Eleanor’s family also feature in the project, illustrating how living with those suffering from psychological distress can impact the entire home. Cameron Weymes spoke to chartered psychologist Dr Christine Tizzard about the impact of quarantine and self-isolation on wellbeing in general.

  • Watch: Saudade – A Reflection on Lockdown

    Watch: Saudade – A Reflection on Lockdown

    A sign on a walkway in Dún Laoghaire. Photo: Paul Caffrey

    By Paul Caffrey, Ruadhan Jones and Kim O’Leary

    Have you found yourself longing for normality, for the simple things you took for granted? The Portuguese have a word for it – saudade. It means to long for the presence of the absent thing.

    TheCity.ie offers this visual poem, full of the longing and nostalgia we feel for normality. The reflection draws together footage from our journalists’ localities of Dún Laoghaire, Cork City and Newbridge, with a musical composition by TheCity.ie’s Paul Caffrey.

  • Watch: Life under lockdown –cricketers prepare for a new season

    Watch: Life under lockdown –cricketers prepare for a new season

    Cork Harelquins Cricket Club, June 2018. Photo: Ted Williamson

    TheCity.ie reporter and Munster interprovincial cricketer Ruadhán Jones has been looking at how cricket clubs and professional teams are preparing for the season under lockdown. He spoke to Ted Williamson, Munster Red’s interprovincial head coach and coach Cork Harlequins CC, and Kieran Sheffron — Munster’s strength and conditioning coach.

    Sports seasons have been cut-off, curtailed, or simply cancelled as a result of the coronavirus. As we enter the summer months, experts have warned that a return to contact sports is “a long way off”.

    But not all hope is lost. Speaking to RTE, Dr Paddy Considine — a sports economist — said that “there will be a hierarchy. Individual sports will have an advantage, while team sports or contact sports will be under pressure.”

    On top of this, Sport Ireland chief executive John Treacy said that non-contact, outdoor sports will be “a priority” when restrictions are lifted.

    For the likes of the GAA, soccer and rugby, this still makes a summer season unlikely. However, some non-contact outdoor sports have an outside chance of playing a shortened season – this includes cricket.

    As a member of an interprovincial panel, we have to do everything we can to be ready to hit the ground running. But it’s not all about the professionals – clubs are working hard to keep their members involved and active.

    To find out how teams and players are preparing, I spoke to Ted Williamson, head coach of the Munster Reds and coach at his local club Cork Harlequins CC, and to Kieran Sheffron, Munster’s strength and conditioning coach.

    Life under lockdown – cricketers prepare for a new season

  • Newbridge in pictures: Rural Kildare town adjusting to restrictions during Covid-19

    Newbridge in pictures: Rural Kildare town adjusting to restrictions during Covid-19

    TheCity.ie’s Kim O’Leary presents a collection of her own photos from her hometown of Newbridge, Co Kildare, where big and small businesses are fighting to adjust to restrictions – cautiously optimistic that their beloved town will one day flourish again.

    ‘Newbridge or Nowhere’ became the town’s unofficial mantra following the summer of 2018 debacle, when Kildare rejected the choice of Croke Park as the venue for their All-Ireland qualifier round 3 match with Mayo. In the end the match was played in Newbridge’s St. Conleth’s Park and saw the Lilywhites emerge victorious over Mayo. This mural was painted to cement the landmark victory. (March, 2020)

    The Covid-19 pandemic has changed normal life as we know it, with many local businesses bearing the brunt of changes to the economic climate. And for my small rural town of Newbridge in Co Kildare, the difference between Newbridge before and during Covid-19 is startling; shops are closed, people now wear masks and gloves to the supermarkets and the atmosphere of dread and fear is palpable in the air.

    Newbridge Town Hall is located at the very heart of the town and the building has been used as a dance hall, a FÁS training centre, a bingo hall, a storage unit and it was also headquarters to the town commission and the community council. The first stone of the town hall (which is formerly a barracks chapel) was laid in 1859 by Lieutenant General Sir James Chatterton. (March, 2020)

    Newbridge, officially known by its Irish name Droichead Nua, is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. While the nearby Great Connell Priory was founded in the 13th century, the town itself formed from the 18th century onwards. The town grew to include a military barracks which opened in the early 19th century, which continues to function.

    The back-end streets behind Main Street in Newbridge are lonely during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many of the small shops and businesses closed. (April, 2020)

    In the 20th century the town saw great expansion of local business, and Newbridge began acting as a commuter town for Dublin. Over the last twenty years, the town has seen its population soar to 22,742 in the 2016 Census – making it the most populous town in Kildare.

    The newly refurbished post office in Newbridge opened earlier in the year, and it remains open during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide essential services to the town’s inhabitants. (April, 2020).

    In many ways — with GAA being so popular — you’re either a Moorefield or Sarsfields fan, with downtown considered Sarsfields’s turf.

    Like most places still open for business in Newbridge, strict ‘social-distancing’ practices are in operation inside the post office. Make sure to stay two metres apart. (April, 2020)

    St. Conleth’s GAA Park is located downtown, so when these two rival sides come together to play GAA, it’s sure to an entertaining display of Gaelic football prowess. In October 2019, Sarsfields were declared Kildare Senior Football Champions for the 25th time in their history after they claimed a six point victory over Moorefield in St. Conleth’s Park.

    People wear masks as they queue up outside the post office in Newbridge, adhering to the 2 metres social distancing rule. (April, 2020)
    It’s not all doom and gloom for local businesses, with SPAR and Life Pharmacy among the essential stores remaining open during the pandemic. (April, 2020)
    Judge Roy Beans restaurant on Edward Street is a must-see for burger lovers, with the American style restaurant crowned ‘Best Pub Burger’ two years in a row. Currently the restaurant is operating a takeaway service due to Covid-19 and its next door neighbour the EBS building society is open for business as usual. (April, 2020)
    Whitewater Shopping Centre — located on Main Street in Newbridge — is one of the country’s largest shopping centres, with thousands of visitors flocking to it every year. At the moment, many of its non-essential shops have closed but its outdoor water features are still proving popular with families. (April, 2020)
    Escalators have been powered down in the Whitewater Shopping Centre, with only a handful of stores open including the Marks & Spencer food hall. (April, 2020)
    A blind man walking down Main Street in Newbridge during the Covid-19 pandemic over Easter weekend. (April, 2020)

    The very top of the town is home to the larger supermarkets of Dunnes Stores and Tesco, as well as the newly opened skate park, and fast-food giants McDonalds and KFC.

    For the first time in their history since opening in Newbridge, McDonalds and KFC on Moorefield Road are shut for business with empty carparks over the Easter weekend. McDonalds shut its doors on Monday, April 23 and KFC shut on Wednesday, March 25.
    (April, 2020)
    A solitary man eats outside KFC in Newbridge during Covid-19. (April, 2020)
    The Dunnes Stores carpark in Newbridge is almost full as shoppers flock to gather their much-need food supplies. (April, 2020)
    A female shopper dressed in mask and gloves for this shopping excursion. (April, 2020)
    A woman visits the fish monger to collect her order. (April, 2020)
    The popular skate park in Newbridge opened last April after 20 years of campaigning by skate boarding enthusiasts, but during Covid-19 the park is going mostly unused. (April, 2020)
    One of the most iconic businesses located in Newbridge is of course Newbridge Silverware, which has spent over 80 years in the town. Its Museum of Style Icons features pop culture memorabilia from Princess Diana’s dresses to suits worn by The Beatles, and much more. (March, 2020)