Heroes, genetics and glimmer man as options open
ASTI spokesperson Bernard Lynch said the higher level paper was tough but fair, with some quite demanding questions. Some of these, he said, were very abstract, and were nearer to a third-level standard.
TUI spokesperson Mary Costelloe said comprehension pieces in the higher level French paper were testing but there were many topics to attract young people, including the cost of living and heroes.
She said the comprehensions at ordinary level were a bit difficult and the grammar was as hard as at higher level but the topics should have been of interest to students.
Mr Lynch had no complaints about the ordinary level paper, but said a big gap is emerging between the demands of the two levels in the subject.
In Junior Certificate French, TUI’s Paula Lennon said the level of French on the aural CD was accessible and the higher level paper was of a standard layout, except in the written section, where students were asked to write a formal letter for the first time in a number of years. However, they had the option of an informal letter, for which most would be prepared.
Ms Lennon said some vocabulary in the reading comprehension section was difficult, but they included topical issues such as film and school life.
Mr Lynch was angry about the inclusion of the formal letter and described it as one of the hardest papers at this level for a long time, with difficult language in the reading comprehensions.
The ordinary level paper also featured issues of interest to young people and the postcard, note and letter were very accessible, according to Ms Lennon. Mr Lynch agreed and said there were few complaints.
The second exam in the revised Leaving Cert biology syllabus took place yesterday.
ASTI spokesman Michael Fitzgerald said students were relieved that neither paper was much harder than last year. He said the short questions at higher level were quite easy, and human reproduction and ecology questions proved popular.
However, he said some people might have been upset about part of the genetics question. It asked students to suggest a role for a genetic test after in-vitro fertilisation, which Mr Fitzgerald said would have been answered in a previous part.
TUI biology spokesman Tim O’Meara said the higher level paper was demanding but should not have been too difficult for well-prepared students. He was concerned that questions on mandatory activities asked more about why students did procedures than what they actually did.
He noted that question 12(b) was like a comprehension piece, as many answers were available in the extract, but the paper had a balance of factual knowledge and deductive reasoning.
Mr O’Meara said the ordinary level paper was quite testing, with section A being relatively harder than the same section at higher level and a demanding level of knowledge was needed.
Mr Fitzgerald welcomed more diagrams than last year at ordinary level and was pleased with questions on respiration, photosynthesis and genetics.
TUI history spokesperson Dermot Lucey said yesterday afternoon’s Junior Certificate higher level paper was long but questions covered many areas of the course. The only problem he cited was a short question about a glimmer man, a gas inspector during the ‘emergency’ in Ireland, a job many students would not be familiar with.
ASTI spokesperson Gerard Hanlon had similar concerns but felt the paper was generally very fair.
Mr Lucey was pleased with ordinary level , apart from a lack of clarity in a picture of an archaeologist. Otherwise, it was a very answerable paper with a good choice of questions.
