There have been improvements in this year's science and history Junior Certificate results, but a fall in quality in some maths and Irish results. The full results will be in the schools this morning.
The Minister for Education and Science, Mr Martin, congratulated the 66,100 Junior Certificate students and said he would be calling for early chief examiners' reports in science, history, mathematics and Irish.
Higher level science had a 7 per cent increase in C grades or better. The examiners found candidates did not attempt too many questions, and those doing chemistry/physics/biology, food science and materials science scored particularly well.
Previous years' concern about questions in ordinary level history being too similar to higher level questions led to a change in format this year. There were separate diagrams and source materials for the ordinary level paper, and the result was an improvement of 20 per cent in C grades or better, and a more than 8 per cent reduction in those getting E.
But there was a 7 per cent decrease in grades of C or higher in ordinary level mathematics. Trigonometry and geometry were notable areas of difficulty. This result is causing concern in the Department of Education, given the need for higher maths standards for new technology jobs.
There was also a 7 per cent decrease in grades C or better in higher level Irish compared to last year. But grades here were broadly similar to 1994 and 1995. There were difficulties in reading and listening comprehension, and in the quality of expression in optional prose and poetry papers. There was also a lack of precision in answering questions.
Meanwhile, the usual appeals were issued by politicians, teacher, parent and youth bodies to students not to celebrate their results by getting drunk.
The Minister of State for Education, Mr Willie O'Dea, said: "Every year the results of the Junior Cert are accompanied by an orgy of drunken misbehaviour. We are faced with an epidemic of teenage alcohol abuse. Children as young as 14 are regularly getting bombed out of their minds."
He urged parents and publicans to co-operate to "make every effort to ensure that Junior Cert students do not obtain alcohol during the coming few days".
The National Youth Council has urged schools and parents "to organise non-alcoholic celebration discos and parties to give appropriate recognition to the efforts of the students".
The principal of a south Dublin school has asked parents to collect their children at midday, organise a family party and so avoid them descending on city pubs.