RENUA IRELAND’S DEPUTY leader has told school examiners they should allow art students to keep the practical work they produce for state exams.

Billy Timmins said he took inspiration from a Pink Floyd classic when stating: a “This definitely is a case of ‘State Examinations Commission, leave the children’s art work alone’.”

Currently, examination scripts and materials are returned to the relevant school following the marking of the exam where students can then view their course work.

However, the materials are then returned to the examinations board and destroyed after a set period of time.

Timmins wants the State Examinations Commission to facilitate the return of Leaving Cert artwork to students after it has completed the examination and marking process.

He described the current policy as “pointless vandalism” and “yet another case of bureaucracy gone mad”.

For many of the students this artwork maybe the most important piece they create and they should be permitted to keep it.

“Critically this is a change in policy would place no financial burden on the exchequer.”

Renua Ireland's Lucinda Creighton and Billy Timmins. Source: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

“This is pieces of art work. It is not a threat to public health and safety or the environment that needs to be buried in a bunker and decommissioned,” Timmins said.

To be fair, there’s rarely a bad time to reference Pink Floyd. All together now:

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