The Junior Cert exams have recently been revamped and new sample papers have been distributed to students.
However, some of the changes in the English paper have been met with criticism from students, particularly the reduction in time from two-and-a-half hours to just two hours.
One student has now launched a campaign to extend the two-hour exam, saying this isn't sufficient time for an English exam.
Tara O' Sullivan, 15, from Dublin, has created a petition on Change.org with the assistance of her classmates.
In an opinion piece for The Journal, Tara explains: "There isn’t a fifteen-year-old alive that can spit out high enough quality writing in such short time."
"We are not asking for much, just time to complete the paper."
Tara explained that while doing sample papers and mock exams, many of her peers thought the questions were fair but had difficulty completing the exam in the allotted time.
Others managed to complete it but had no time to read over their answers and amend their papers accordingly.
Tara said the structure of the current exam was unclear, and students were unsure about how much time they should devote to each question.
Tara and her friends - Faye Dolan, Ellen McKimm and Adrianne Ward - are campaigning for an extra 30 minutes to complete the paper.
The young student said that Junior Cert students already face stress being in an exam year, and that this paper added to the nerves.
She also pointed out that a two-hour exam is poor preparation for the Leaving Cert English exam, which is six hours in total.
Tara said efforts by their teachers to bring up the matter were not taken seriously. "Our teachers have expressed frustration on behalf of students and themselves but have seemed to be ignored," she wrote.
So far, the petition has gathered over 10,000 signatures out of a required 15,000.
Supporters of the petition agreed with Tara; with teachers, students and parents voicing their opinions.
Jennifer Harte said: "The insight and experience of teachers should be listened to when deciding educational changes."
Meanwhile, student Ellen O' Brien said she didn't have enough time in the mocks: "In my mock exam, I only finished just over half the paper. As a dyslexic, I am a slow writer and reader, and having this little time severely affected me."
Tara hopes to deliver the petition to the Minister for Education Richard Bruton; the Dail; Minister for Children, Katherine Zappone, and the Chairperson of the State Examinations Commission Ireland.
We hope they will listen to the students' concerns, and we commend Tara for taking a stand on the issue.
