THEY sit, lost in the great hall amid a sea of deserted desks Almost alone in the exam vortex. Only a handful of students sit waiting to start their exams. Next week is the third week of answering papers and solving problems. Brains are tired. The exam fest is nearly over. Just one or two more to do.

What subjects continue to bring students in to answer a further exam paper when it's so late in the month? Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Italian and classical studies are some of those subject which are invariably scheduled towards the end of the month. Each year a small number of candidates do certain "minority" subjects and they live to tell the tale.

Only 10 students will do Greek in the current Leaving Cert. Six will sit Hebrew. Latin is a little healthier with 168 students registered to do the exam with the Department of Education. Numbers for Italian and agricultural economics are down there in the low registers also.

Hebrew is compulsory for all Jewish students at Stratford College in Dublin. According to their teacher, Ms Marise Gordon, it is a text based course. Although some students will resist "anything that is compulsory", she describes her current class as very keen. "They're a lovely group," she says. "No matter how difficult or challenging the subject, you do get kids who just throw themselves in and do it."

Ms Gordon recognises the difficulties of being in such a minority. "The most difficult thing," she says, "is being isolated, with nobody to consult, no access to textbooks. It can be a very subjective subject. It's quite difficult to know what the examiners are looking for."

The syllabus was reshaped and replanned in 1986. "The new one is very good," she says, letting her enthusiasm for her subject shine through.

Teaching classical studies is interesting and very varied, according to Mr Michael Barry, of St Patrick's Girls Secondary School in Cork. "There's nearly something for everybody." But, he agrees, there are disadvantages to teaching a minority subject.

"We don't have the same backup," he says, particularly in terms of a teacher association. "We find it very hard to get organised and a lot of people do feel isolated."

But, for students, the subject is very interesting and enjoyable, says Mr Barry, although it can be difficult for them when they want to talk to other students about exam questions. "They don't have a large body where they can talk about it," he says. This year he is teaching a class of seven, with some doing the higher level and some doing the ordinary level. "A mixture is a problem in any class," he says.

Over 60 students will sit classical studies at Junior Cert in his school. The subject remains an integral part of the school's curriculum. "I have great support from my principal and from the management," he says. "That's important. All students up to Junior Cert do it."

This year 182 students will sit Italian in the Leaving Cert. Among them will be 15 students at St Thomas Community College in Bray, Co Wicklow, doing for the exam for the first time in the school's history.

"It's quite a nice position to be in," says their teacher, Ms Fiona Kelly. "The pupils seem to enjoy it." In general, she finds that teaching a minority subject involves being more organised and well prepared publications tend to be Australian and everything has to be ordered in June. "It does require more work," she explains.

The fact that the Association of Teachers of Italian is quite an active and vibrant group helps. "There's a very good network between the schools," says Ms Kelly. "You would know a lot of our colleagues."

THIS is the first Leaving Cert for the new Italian syllabus, which is more communicative in its approach. Italian as a subject, she feels, "will fall and come in and out like the tide" because the numbers doing it are so small. "If you don't get a viable class you have to look at the options again."

According to Mr Aidan Farrell, of Scoil Eoin CBS in Athy, Co Kildare, the main problem about teaching a minority subject such as Italian is the lack of textbooks and tapes. "There's no such thing as an Irish published book for Italian in either the Junior Cert or the Leaving Cert," he says. "You don't have much material to go on.

Seven students at the High School, Danum, Rathgar, Dublin, will do Latin at Junior Cert level this year. "It used to be that everybody did it," says their teacher, Mr Robin Miller, "but this is no longer the case."

Although numbers have been dropping, he hopes they will now begin to rise again. "I think that there's an awareness among parents that it's a useful base for writing and languages and English in particular.

Again there are problems with textbooks. For the section of the course dealing with Roman history, "there hasn't been a textbook on the market for a number of years," says Mr Miller.

He regrets that more students can't enjoy Latin and classical studies. "I'm very sorry that there isn't more opportunity for students to sample more choice," he says. "They would be interested in trying but there are only so many subjects that they fit into the curriculum." He feels that a system of modules would give students a chance to sample other subjects.