Verdict: Leaving Cert Home EconomicsStudents of Leaving Certificate home economics got a shock yesterday as what is normally regarded as a very approachable paper turned into a harrowing dash for the finish line. Marion Nugent, a home economics teacher in the Technical Institute in Ringsend, estimates that a quarter of her students failed to complete the paper, which she described as "exceptionally detailed and intricate".
This year's paper was the first to examine the new home economics syllabus, which is far broader in scope than its predecessor. Students had no past papers to study and were not in a position to rule out any material based on previous exams.
"This made today's paper even more disappointing for strong students who had covered the course in some detail," said Ms Nugent. "They were asked so many questions that they could only give snippets of information and could not display all their learning."
Unusually, students with only a surface knowledge of the syllabus may have found this paper more amenable, she said.
Ms Sandra Cleary of the Institute of Education in Leeson Street agreed that the paper was far too long, and that even students who planned efficiently would have had trouble completing every question.
"This was a fair paper in terms of content, but the length ruined it," she said. "The questions were very straightforward, but there were just too many."
The paper opened with a series of 12 short questions on a range of subjects including nutrition, mortgages, consumer rights, safety labelling and renewable resources. The questions were not considered difficult, but many required answers more suited to the long question sections, some students complained.
The long questions in sections B and C were interesting and topical, covering subjects such as sustainable energy, the importance of oily fish in the diet and changing work patterns. Students were asked to outline the key considerations a parent should take when choosing a creche and to describe the procedures when obtaining planning permission.
The new exam incorporates a series of three electives. Students who chose fashion were tasked with designing an outfit to wear to a job interview.
The ordinary-level paper was described by Ms Cleary as "perfectly pitched". "The main problem with ordinary-level home economics in the past has been the interpretation of questions, but there was no room for confusion this year. The language was simple and the layout clear. Students were given every opportunity to do well," she said.
A total of 15,869 students took Leaving Certificate home economics this year, and 1,827 of those were boys. The number of students taking home economics has risen steadily in recent years, due to a perception that it is a relatively easy subject.
In reality, students of home economics do not achieve higher levels of top grades. This year's paper should put paid to the idea that the subject is a soft option.
