Junior Cert: Smiles and a thumbs up for emojis in English paper

For over 60,000 students, Junior Certificate English was first on the cards at schools around the country yesterday.

The appearance of emoji characters used in text messaging was considered a positive aspect of the opening higher-level paper.

Liz Farrell of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland said the comprehension piece about emojis tried to make the paper look a bit more hip, and there was a lot of scope for students in the personal writing section.