Latest news with #JuniorCycle
Irish Times
13-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Carl O'Brien: ‘A secret weapon to defusing exam tension at home: the Dad joke'
Yes, the Leaving Cert is a sadistic rite of passage – but sometimes you do have to laugh. As we know, all laws of household behaviour have been suspended. Students communicate in sighs. Discarded mugs are signs of academic focus. Any attempt to vacuum is 'sabotaging their future'. Tension is everywhere. Thankfully, our exam parent Damian Cullen has found an important mood-breaker in the past few weeks: the Dad joke. No situation is too tense for a simple, pun-based joke – the cornier the better. READ MORE We liked his advice to his Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert daughters as they headed off to sit their English papers; – 'Best of luck today, girls. Remember to avoid cliches like the plague.' Two sets of eyes roll. – 'Ughh, goodbye.' Be sure to read Daman's latest dispatch – it is well worth it. Damian Cullen with his wife and daughter at a recent school graduation ceremony After eight days of State exams, a much-needed weekend of respite stretches ahead. We've had quite a response from readers on the physical and mental toll these exams have been had on students. Stress In a report which didn't gain anywhere near as much publicity as it should have, the OECD took a critical look at the Leaving Cert in 2023. . It noted how the CAO points system is unusual in the degree to which it is 'particularly competitive' and 'every single mark can be critical' for entry into college. It concluded that the exams were a period of 'intense stress and pressure' which was 'limiting space for development of broader skills that are 'critical for young people's lifelong learning'. At least Leaving Cert reforms are now on the horizon with a much greater focus on continual assessment and project work – but the CAO system is, in many ways, the tail that wags the dog. As long as it remains brutally competitive, the pressure will be transferred into the assessment process. Pathways On that note, we'll be dedicating our newsletters next week to looking at the latest information and advice available for school leavers on further education, apprenticeships, new tertiary degree options without CAO points and, yes, the CAO itself. Hopefully, it will be a reminder to exam-addled students – and parents – that there are more pathways than ever to pursue your career dreams. Have a great weekend. How are we doing? If you are a parent/ guardian of a Leaving Cert student, we'd love to hear from you. Maybe you have a personal story to share, have a burning question or want to comment on the exams, CAO and further education applications process. Please click the link below to send us your questions or feedback: ingCert But they have been a very important mood-breaker over the past few weeks. No matter how cool and unfazed a teenager normally is, the Leaving Certificate is an imitating beast – a shadow keeping thousands of students in the shade even on the sunniest of June days.
Irish Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Live reaction to State exams: Leaving Cert French and Junior Cycle home economics
10 minutes ago Leaving Cert: French (9.30-12 midday) and history (2-4.50pm) Junior Cycle: Home economics (9.30-11am) and Spanish (1.30-3.30pm) Student diary : 'I'm aiming for as high as I can get – then it's time for Albufeira' Classroom to College : Sign up to our essential newsletter on the exams, third level and further education 9 minutes ago 07/06/2024 - The exam hall at Lucan Community College. exams, Leaving Certificate, Junior Certificate stock Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times Junior Cycle home economics: Paper 'brought a smile to students and teachers' This morning's Junior Cycle home economics paper was very 'doable, fair and relatable to students lives', says Megan Friel, Studyclix subject expert and home economics teacher at Mercy College, Sligo. All the short questions were very straightforward with no tricks or curveballs, she said. As was widely predicted, Friel says the theme of sustainability and smart technology appeared in the short questions — a common and relevant topic in both home economics and broader global discussions. 'Section B, Question 11 began with a well-structured fill-in-the-blanks activity, supported by a word bank,' says Friel. 'The question was based on baking a cake — a practical and relatable topic that allowed students to connect theory with their practical cooking class." Question 11, she says, had a strong and well-integrated link to consumer studies, reflecting the recent trend of including one question that draws on content from multiple chapters. 'The task of drawing a bedroom floor plan was practical and relevant, which could allow students to apply the content to their personal living spaces. Plan a two-course dinner menu and provide meal planning also appeared which is highly predictable and frequent question,' she says. 'The inclusion of the Return Deposit Scheme — also seen on some mock papers — was likely a welcome relief for students. The main food commodity was Vegetables which incorporated questions on nutrition, cooking and how consumers can identify fresh vegetables before purchasing." Friel says students would have been familiar with the diagram of the design brief process, and the follow-up question relating to designing an apron was straightforward and commonly seen in past papers. 'Overall, the exam featured very topical and student-friendly questions that were manageable and free of unpleasant surprises — sure to bring a smile to both students and teachers,' says Friel.
Irish Examiner
09-06-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Leaving Cert students face tougher maths paper with 'some curveballs'
The second week of Leaving Cert 2025 began with a 'trickier' maths paper 2 exam that included some curveballs to get students thinking, teachers reviewing this year's exam papers believe. Junior Cycle 2025 also continued this Monday, with students tackling the science exam. Maths paper 2 was a tougher paper than Friday's paper 1, according to Niall Duddy, ASTI subject spokesperson and teacher at Presentation College, Athenry, Co Galway. 'The feeling certainly amongst our own students here is that it was a trickier test than paper 1 overall,' he said. 'It was a more stern test but at the same time, it was still doable,' he added. 'If I was doing the paper myself, I probably would have started with a question like number three, which was around probability and Venn diagrams, which students would have been familiar with from Junior Cycle, with this question just given a higher-level Leaving Cert twist.' He also noted several 'helpful little hints' included in the questions this year, for example, students were asked to give a reason for their proof. 'That has crept in the last couple of years, and it's nice to see. It's more user-friendly.' However, students he spoke to after the exam found section B of the higher level paper 'trickier'. 'Particularly question eight, which was based around pyramids. It's a bit like Marmite; Some people like this type of question, others don't.' 'A lot of students I spoke to avoided it, even though the question wasn't as bad when you went down into it as it was at first glance.' Another question that caught a few students out was the use of the phrase "stratified random sampling" in question 10, he believed. 'It's only a small part of the question but I know quite a few students who asked me afterwards what it actually was.' The paper 'got tough' as it went on, he said. 'But that is to be expected with higher-level maths.' 'There was no one coming out who seemed very disappointed, but they did say it was trickier.' Studyclix subject expert Stephen Begley, of Dundalk Grammar School, said the higher level maths paper 2 was 'very fair and decent'. 'Though it did have some curveballs to get students thinking." 'Those who prepared for a typical paper 2 would have been content with this paper, which enabled students to showcase their knowledge of the usual core topics in a range of questions. 'All in all, it's been a pretty good, fair, and accessible set of exams for Leaving Cert higher level maths students in 2025.' Meanwhile, the ordinary level paper presented students with a 'very typical and manageable set of questions', Mr Begley believed. 'While the paper was particularly statistics heavy, those who prepared this regularly featured topic would have been well-rewarded, with all elements of the area being examined across multiple questions.' He said the empirical rule in question six, tree diagram in question seven, pie chart in question eight and trigonometry question in question 10 "would have given students plenty of marks to boost their confidence in the exam". He added: 'Whilst the tail end of questions were not without their stings, the opening parts provided good space for students to gather marks.' Read More Threat of industrial action in secondary schools as ASTI rejects Leaving Cert reforms
Irish Times
06-06-2025
- Science
- Irish Times
Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle: live reaction to day three of State exams
8 minutes ago Leaving Cert: geography (9.30-12 midday), maths paper one (2-4.30pm) Junior Cycle: history (9.30-11.30am), maths (1.30-3.30pm) Leaving Cert student diary : 'I'm running on adrenaline ... Albufeira, we're coming for you!' Reaction: State exams body defends Junior Cycle English exam in face of criticism 8 minutes ago Leaving Cert students at Ardscoil Ris, Griffith Avenue, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Leaving Cert geography: 'A fine paper students will be pleased with' Students are leaving leaving exam halls after today's Leaving Cert geography exam and the mood is upbeat. My colleague Peter McGuire reports: Geography students will be happy with a very fair and balanced 2025 higher-level paper, according to Dan Sheedy, geography teacher and principal of . 'In physical geography, plenty of choice was available from the challenging but frequently appearing isostatic processes to the widely predicted landform of deposition which will have pleased everyone,' Mr Sheedy said. 'Questions on human interaction with the rock cycle, folding or faulting will also have been welcomed by all students as a chance to display the fruits of their hard work in this, the section they are most likely to attempt two questions from. In the most widely chosen option, geoecology, some students may have been disappointed not to see the characteristics of a biome, however the anticipated topic of human Interference in biomes will have been seen with relief by many if not all. Mr Sheedy said. 'Migration and the European Union were themes throughout the paper, with both regional and human geography containing questions on these topics,' he said. 'The elective sections contained no surprises for the well-prepared student with sketch maps and 30-mark questions consistent with recent years. The short question section contained the usual mixture of physical, regional, statistical analysis and map/photo questions. 'Overall, it was a fine paper that all students will be pleased with,' he said.
Irish Times
06-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
State exams body defends ‘curveball' short story question in Junior Cycle English paper
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has defended the inclusion of a question on short stories that sparked controversy in the Junior Cycle English paper on the basis that it was 'fully within the scope' of the curriculum. In Wednesday's Junior Cycle English exam at higher level, candidates were asked to respond to a question about 'any short story they had studied'. It was worth 15 marks from a total of 180 marks for the exam. [ Classroom to College: our essential newletter on the State exams for parents, guardians and students ] However, many students reported that they had not studied any short stories during their three years of the Junior Cycle and left the question blank, while parents reported that children felt upset and confused in the middle of their first ever State exam. While many teachers have covered short stories, others said they have not on the basis that they struggle to cover the full curriculum of the revised Junior Cycle English specification, which has been examined for all candidates since 2017. A question on short stories has not come up in the exam in recent years. READ MORE A SEC spokesman said it was assured that the questions was 'fully within the scope of the specification and in keeping with the aims, objectives and learning outcomes for Junior Cycle English.' The spokesman said its exam papers and draft marking schemes are developed through a 'rigorous development process' and those involved are 'experts in the subject who are also experienced teachers.' The spokesman also noted that the Junior Cycle English specification includes guidelines for teachers on the choice of texts which should be studied by students in first year, and by those in second and third year. 'The specification includes short stories among the texts which must be studied by students in both first and second/third year,' he said. In addition, he pointed to the Department of Education list of prescribed materials for the second and third year of Junior Cycle English which issued to schools in 2022 for those sitting this year's exam. This circular states that 'second and third year students MUST study texts as described' and includes 'a number of short stories' in the list of texts. In the case of novels, films and dramas to be studied for examination, teachers choose from those on the prescribed lists as set out in the circular. In the case of poetry, short stories, and non-literary texts teachers have the freedom to choose specific examples. The spokesman noted that 'commentary and correspondence on the examinations from students, parents, teachers, professional bodies, and other interested parties' will be reviewed by the subject's chief examiner in the context of preparing the marking scheme, 'The approach taken by the SEC to the development of marking schemes ensures consistency in the marking and fairness to all candidates. The marking scheme will be published, as will the marking schemes in all other subjects, after the issue of the Junior Cycle results. About 60,000 students sat the higher level Junior Cycle English paper. While some teachers described the inclusion of the question as a 'curveball', most overall said they were happy with a 'balanced' and 'fair' exam.
