Religion in sport was a theme of the Junior Cert religious education exam, with comprehension pieces that covered boxer Katie Taylor’s faith and a move by Newcastle United Football Club to accommodate Islamic prayer.
“Candidates felt this was a fair paper but there were some issues about phraseology,” said teacher Aisling Flood of St Joseph’s Secondary School in Drogheda. “One question asked them to state two things that a prayer of petition shows about a person’s belief in God. It would be more common to look at the characteristics of a prayer of petition. However, the question was only worth six marks.”
But the paper gave creative students plenty of scope. “There was plenty of opportunity to show their knowledge and the introduction of use of sporting knowledge would have been appealing to them,” said Ms Flood.
A majority of students sat the science paper in the morning, which is compulsory in most schools. In previous years there have been concerns that the exam has favoured some areas of science over others. This year it was said to be a fair spread.
Yvonne Higgins, a teacher in Magh Ene College in Bundoran described the paper as “balanced and fair”.
“There were very positive responses from students here in Bundoran. This was a well-structured and well-designed exam,” she said.
