LEAVING CERT ENGINEERING:FIVE THOUSAND engineering students boldly went where none had gone before as they described for examiners their efforts to design a moon buggy.
Yesterday’s engineering paper accounted for 50 per cent of the students’ overall marks, with the remaining 50 per cent awarded for practical and project work.
Engineering students were reportedly “very satisfied” with yesterday’s exam, as 5,000 largely male examinees answered questions on lasers, silver and getting about on the moon.
“This was a manageable paper that was well laid-out and welcomed by students,” said Kenny Donagher of ASTI and Summerhill College in Sligo. “Their term work on developing a lunar vehicle was examined in two sections. We haven’t seen that before but it was a welcome development.”
Teachers also welcomed the appearance of a question on silverware design, following last year’s inclusion of a question on textiles.
Both are seen as tentative steps towards broadening out the subject to attract more students.
Very few girls take engineering, with fewer than 5 per cent of yesterday’s engineering cohort being female. Too few girls’ schools are offering the subject, according to Mr Donagher.
Despite a comprehensive review of the subject, the old syllabus remains in place. There are fears that the subject may come under pressure when the new Junior Cert syllabus is introduced.
Ordinary level students completed 60 per cent of the graded work before yesterday’s exam, which was described as “manageable”. Students had to do a model of a golf buggy for their project, which accounted for 30 per cent of the marks. The remainder of the marks went on the practical examination, which took place in May.
