JUNIOR CERT MATHS: A "FAIR" paper overall was the general verdict about Junior Cert maths paper II at both higher and ordinary level. However, concerns were raised about the number of ordinary students who left the exam early.

Jim Healy, a teacher in Terenure College, Dublin, said: "It's a problem at ordinary level and while it doesn't apply to every student by any means, it is worrying. It seems to me that we are breeding a generation of quitters."

Mr Healy was at pains to point out that he was only talking about some ordinary level students. "They see a question that they can't solve immediately and they just give up."

Reaction was mixed to the ordinary level paper itself with some students preferring it to paper I, while others found it challenging. On the whole, the higher level paper was well received, although many found Friday's paper easier.

"Paper II is always the paper that students struggle with," said TUI subject representative Alan Monnelly. "The exams were very fair overall. The part C of questions were very clever and sensible in both the higher and ordinary level papers. The language used was good I thought," he said.