Almost half of sixth year students take grinds

Almost half of sixth year students take grinds, according to a new ESRI study on education in Ireland http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0920/esrileavingcertstudy.pdf
Why do we continue to use the term ‘grinds’ in Ireland? The term is not used anywhere else. Ireland was traditionally an agricultural country and ‘grinding stones’ were used to produce flour by hand. This is probably where the term originates. ‘To grind’ in education generally means to ‘instill or teach by persistent repetition” –not exactly a model of 21st century teaching and learning……
We’ll stick with ‘tutorials’!