Woodwork exam ‘fair but challenging’

More than 16,000 Junior Certificate students took their woodwork exam worth one-third of total marks in the subject yesterday afternoon.

Noel Scott of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said the higher-level exam was fair but challenging. He said explanatory sketches were used well and the paper had a good balance between design questions and those grounded in traditional skills.

The design of a portable storage unit was based on a thematic brief, and another question integrated wood, acrylic, and design.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) subject spokesman Dara Fitzpatrick said there were no surprises at higher level. He said students who did not have strong sketching skills could have struggled on the second section.

He thought the second section of the ordinary-level exam was difficult, saying the standard of woodworking examined was inconsistent with the abilities of most ordinary level students.

In the first question, Mr Fitzpatrick said it was relatively difficult both to formulate and to graphically communicate a solution.

Mr Scott believed the ordinary-level exam had a really interesting approach, and said the paper was engaging.

Junior Certificate technical graphics had almost 12,000 students entered, and ASTI subject spokesman John Mulcahy said some questions in the first section of a challenging higher-level exam would have posed problems for some students.

He said a question on orthographic projection would have taken the full time allocated.

Michael Leyden of the TUI said the paper was well-structured and a question on children’s playing blocks in the first section included a refreshing new look at how students’ understanding of orthographic projections. But, he said, the next question on shadows may have challenged some students.

Both teachers thought the ordinary-level exam was pitched well for students at this level. Mr Mulcahy said both sections gave students a good opportunity to apply what they learned in the last three years.