'Accessible' Leaving Cert history exam will have left some students 'bitterly disappointed'

Many students will have been surprised not to see questions on Charles Stewart Parnell or the Montgomery Bus Boycott appear on the higher-level paper, according to teacher and Studyclix subject spokesman Jamie Dockery. Picture: Andy Gibson

Students who were hoping to see Charles Stewart Parnell or the Montgomery Bus Boycott appear on this year’s Leaving Cert history will be “bitterly disappointed” with an otherwise accessible exam.

The Leaving Cert 2025 exams continued on Wednesday afternoon with history.

This year’s higher level paper, which requires students to tackle one document-based question as well as three essay-style questions, was “accessible”, according to ASTI subject spokesman Philip Irwin.

"I thought it was a good paper for students.”

In particular, he liked this year’s documents question, which focused on the Jarrow March of 1936.

“That was one of three case studies in the dictatorship and democracy in Europe section. The other two are the show trials in Stalin’s Russia, which came up last year, and the Nuremberg rallies," Mr Irwin said. 

“I would suspect that students were more looking for the Nuremberg rallies [to appear on the exam].” 

The sources supplied in the question were good, he added. This included a government statement issued at the time, and the other an extract from a newspaper report about the Jarrow March.

“The questions on it were also good, with one asking students to compare and contrast the documents. 

It was an interesting question overall, and I think that students would have found it accessible and doable.

The Irish history section included some good general questions, but students may have found a question on Éamon de Valera’s leadership more challenging, he added.

Students were asked to discuss how effective his leadership was during the Treaty negotiations, Civil War, and during the Second World War.

“Quite a bit to deal with there, sometimes those questions are either or, so that was more challenging.”

Another challenging question appeared in the US history section, which asked students to discuss how and why religion became an increasingly powerful force in American life between 1945 to 1989.

Many students will have been surprised not to see questions on Charles Stewart Parnell or the Montgomery Bus Boycott appear on the higher-level paper, according to teacher and Studyclix subject spokesman Jamie Dockery.

“Those who placed all their bets on these topics, undoubtedly a sizeable number, will be bitterly disappointed," Mr Dockery said.

However, there was much to be pleased with in this paper. 

The ordinary level paper should also have been generally well received by students and teachers, Mr Dockery added.

The Jarrow March was also the focus of the documents question, he added.

“I very much welcome the higher and ordinary level exam having similar questions, particularly considering that the average senior history groups will have higher and ordinary Level students learning together in the one class.”

"Many of the main personalities from Irish history found their way into the exam, he added. This including O’Connell, Yeats, Cosgrave and de Valera. 

“Women will also well represented in the guise of Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington and Countess Markievicz and Maureen O’Hara, among others.

"As a history teacher, my hope for any exams is that it will give the diligent and hardworking student a chance to show off all they know, and this exam certainly did that.”