Accounting students find themselves lost in translation

ACCOUNTING was the flavour of the afternoon for the Leaving Cert and presented more than a few posers for the higher level students, especially those in all-Irish schools.

In one poser, if you looked at the paper in Irish, there was a reference to a debit balance which became lost in translation and appeared as a credit balance in the paper in English.

Another question differed between the languages and showed a numerical balance sheet discrepancy being €260 on one paper and €269 on the other, depending on whether you answered in Irish or English.

One Cork city teacher who took the matter up with the Examination Commission was told students would not lose marks because of the errors.

According to Áine Ní Chéadaigh of Ard Scoil Rís in Dublin’s Griffith Avenue and the ASTI, the paper was “very, very long,” with some students pressed for time. One question did not indicate what marks were being awarded for each section, she said, so those taking part weren’t sure how much time to allocate.

“There would also have been some repetition of the questions, I thought; for example, the correction of errors — that type of thing would have been examined in questions 1, 2 and 7,” she said. Overall it was a “tough” paper, Ms Ní Cheadaigh said.

Higher level students were asked about flexible budgeting, which was a new departure, but manageable, while other topics included the Accounting Standards Board, and questions 1 and 5 followed the pattern of previous years, according to Veronica Edwards of the TUI.

“Anyone who had the work put in would have felt it was a satisfactory paper,” she said yesterday evening.

The ordinary level paper was “well received” by students, Ms Edwards said. “The questions were easy to read and appropriate to the level of the paper.”

Spanish papers for Leaving Cert and Junior Cert yesterday morning tested students on their knowledge of pieces of literature as well as bringing in modern-day topics as diverse as climate change, Euro 2008, actor Javier Bardem and bullfight protests.

Tales of the unexpected were thin on the ground, with teachers happy with the papers and many of those taking Spanish finishing off their exam campaigns on a high.

The ASTI’s Maire Ní Chiarba, teacher of Spanish at Colaiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire, Cork, described the Leaving Cert higher level paper as “very well thought out”, as well as fair and in keeping with the syllabus.

A journalistic piece on the banning of mobile phones from Spanish schools featured on the paper and was “extremely interesting,” according to Ms Ní Chiarba, while there were also questions on global warming.

The ordinary level paper brought mention of footballers David Beckham and Lionel Messi into play, as part of a comprehension piece referring to a Nigerian boy who seeks to escape to Europe. “There’s a huge problem in Spain at the moment with people coming into the country,” said Maire Ni Chiarba. “It also reflected our interest in multiculturalism.”

Junior Cert higher level included a listening comprehension test, and other topics included fast food, a trip to Ibiza, and tobacco smoking.

Ordinary level Spanish in the Junior Cert also included listening comprehension along with questions on food, the Picasso Museum in Malaga, and mobile phone use among teenagers. Formula one driver Fernando Alonso also came up, as did Jennifer Lopez and an earthquake in Madrid.

The afternoon brought Metalwork for the Junior Cert students but, with 75% of the exam already done through project and practical work, it was different to other days for those taking part.

Engineering teacher and assistant principal at Carrickmacross Eamonn described the higher level paper as “traditional” as well as “searching, but very fair” for the pupils. “It would allow an ‘A’ student to get a straight ‘A’ and an average student to do very well,” said Mr McAleer, also a TUI representative.

Meanwhile, the ordinary level paper showed that “a bit of care was taken in presenting it,” he said.

“Everyone seemed to be quite happy with it,” said metalwork teacher Phelim O’Doherty of the ASTI. “No major surprises anyway — anyone that’s looked at past papers shouldn’t have had a problem.”