The second week of Leaving Certificate 2014 ended with construction studies papers for more than 8,500 students yesterday evening.

Leaving Certificate students got down to business in the morning and needed some quite specific knowledge on many of the questions.

Three years of science education were assessed for 55,000 Junior Certificate students, whose exams filled their morning timetable.

The day started and ended with business studies for Junior Certificate students, and there was just a single exam for those who chose the ordinary level test.

The Irish exams for Leaving Certificate students were on the morning timetable and featured some expected personalities.

The final area of reform promised by Ruairi Quinn was around predictability in Leaving Certificate exams which — along with narrow grade bands mostly sep-arated by just 5% — it had been suggested promotes rote learning and “teaching to the test” in schools instead of focusing on the curriculum.

Major changes to how Leaving Certificate exams are graded, and cuts to numbers of courses offered by colleges from what was available in 2011, will not take effect for another two to three years — at least a year later than first planned.

The new junior cycle student award cannot be implemented in second-level schools, according to almost nine out of 10 teachers.

Teachers agree with much of what Victoria White states in her thoughtful and measured contribution on educational innovation (Irish Examiner, March 13).

I am concerned about the proposals to abolish the Junior Certificate exam and to introduce continuous assessment in our second-level schools.

The public opinion war over Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s plan to abolish the Junior Certificate stepped up a gear as teachers took to school gates airing their fears for the impact on education standards.

The proposed Junior Cycle programme has run into strong opposition from teachers. How radical are the changes and what do they mean, asks Education Correspondent Niall Murray