Q: HOW are the oral exams marked for modern languages in the Leaving Cert? Is there a different marking scheme for Higher and Ordinary level?
- Sligo student
A: THE oral examiner is supposed to start with easy topics to put students at their ease and then move along to more difficult topics according to a student's ability. Students can opt for different things in the oral such as role play or discussion of a picture. In some languages they can bring in an article of their choice and then discuss it. Each class is rated by its own teacher and this list is given to the oral examiner.
Generally, it would be fairly evident to the examiner which class is Higher or Ordinary level but the marking is done on the same basis for both levels. However, when it comes to adding the mark for the oral exam to the students' total mark for that language, then the Ordinary level students are marked out of 20 per cent for the oral and 25 per cent for the aural test. Higher level students are graded in the reverse way.
Q: HOW can I get into the Defence Forces? What are the requirements for the various sections? Where do I apply and when?
- Cork student
A: THE Permanent Defence Forces include the Army, the Naval Service and the Air Corps. The three normal methods of entry are as a cadet an apprentice and a recruit. Cadets train to become officers in any of the three services and you will find details concerning their recruitment and careers in the E&L supplement of April 8th. A small number of direct entry officers are recruited occasionally for particular appointments such as engineers, medical doctors etc.
The following is the situation for apprentices and recruits.
An apprentice is trained for a chosen trade as well as getting military training. Army and Navy apprentices train at the Army Apprentice School in Naas, Co Kildare, and the Air Corps train at Baldonnel. All apprentices are recognised by FAS.
A recruit, after a period of training, qualifies as a private soldier or a seaman and can then apply for a wide range of courses. Numbers in the Defence Forces will be reduced over the next three years from around 13,000 to about 11,500 or so but at the same time young recruits will be taken on in the 17 to 27 year old age group. Of the total number in the forces, there are slightly more than 1,000 each in both the Air Corps and the Naval Service and the remainder are in the Army so you can see from this that the Army is by far the biggest sector.
The Defence Forces took on about 200 recruits before Christmas and another 190 will be recruited in the next few months with a further 200 before the end of the year.
Generally, recruits will be taken in on five year contracts and some personnel are invited to remain on in the Permanent Defence Forces.
For entry to the Army and Naval Service as a recruit, it is not necessary to have a Leaving Cert but you must satisfy the recruiting officer that you have a sufficient standard of education. There are medical and physical requirements - candidates must be at least 65 inches in height and be between 17 and 22 years old.
When recruits or apprentices complete training they can become private soldiers in the Army or seamen in the Naval Service. As they qualify they may be promoted to higher noncommissioned ranks. The first group to be taken on a five year contract was recruited in 1994 and final decisions as to their future employment will be made in 1999 entry to apprenticeships must have the usual requirements such as Junior Cert with five subjects to include Irish or English and maths and any two of metalwork, woodwork, science, art, mechanical drawing and technology. Specified subjects to suit particular trades may also be required.
All positions are advertised in the national press when they become available.
Q: MY SON hopes to do engineering after the Leaving Cert in June. However, he has just dropped maths at higher level. Will he have to repeat the full Leaving Cert next year to qualify for entry?
- Clare reader
A: THERE are two issues involved here - points and faculty requirements.
The issue of points is straightforward because he must get all the points in one Leaving Cert but he could put them on hold and hope that they would be sufficient for entry in 1998. In that case, all he would have to worry about is the higher level maths for next year so that he could meet the faculty requirements for engineering - usually HC maths for most primary engineering degrees in almost all colleges.
He could then combine the two Leaving Certs to meet the faculty requirements and take his points from 1997 only.
Before going this route, he should consider other options such as engineering courses in colleges such as DCU where HC applied maths (which you say he is doing) can be substituted for the higher maths requirement or Waterford RTC's bachelor of technology in electronics which accepts maths at Ordinary Level B3.
A few colleges, among them; UCG and UL, provide the opportunity of taking a special maths exam in August for entry to engineering and since you say he has just dropped the higher maths now, he may be able by doing some preparation for this exam during the summer to avoid spending another year before going to college.
Although many university courses require higher level maths for entry to engineering, there is another very good route to becoming an engineer. This is by studying at certificate or diploma level in the RTC or DIT system and then progressing to degree courses if exam results are at credit or distinction level. This route takes five years instead of the usual four for degree courses but he will have to spend the extra year anyway if he wants to do higher maths to qualify for most primary degrees.
Many students find this route very satisfactory. They get qualifications at certificate or diploma level as they go along and some might wish to take up a job instead of continuing study.
Another option is to apply to colleges like DIT Bolton Street or Ballyfermot Senior College to do a preengineering course this year and then transfer to a degree courses next year. Obviously he should consider all his options carefully before deciding to repeat Leaving Cert.
