STATE EXAMS 2015: Stargazing on first day of Junior Cert

Stargazing and astronomy featured in the opening exam for 45,000 Junior Certificate students taking higher level English yesterday.

A reading passage about Irish astronomer Mary Bruck opened the paper, one of two set for those at higher level, while ordinary and foundation level student had just one paper.

Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) English spokesman Fintan O’Mahony said the extract was a good opening passage, with fine questions that raised no major difficulties. He said an option to write a humorous school magazine article was likely to be chosen by many students. However, he said, many of the other personal essay-writing choices would not have been too challenging either.