Students largely positive as exams begin for 113,000

Over 113,000 students began their Leaving or Junior Certificate exams at 4,500 centres around the country today.

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin wished all candidates well, but urged them and their parents to keep things in perspective.

"I want to acknowledge the tremendous support that all the students will have had from their teachers, parents, families and friends in preparing for these exams.

"While the State exams are an important educational milestone, I hope that students and parents will keep things in perspective at this time.

"I am sure that the students will realise their full potential after working so hard to get to this point. Best of luck to all."

ireland.comvisited a number of schools in Dublin's south inner city this morning detecting a largely positive response from students to their first English exam.

Julie Dolan and Philippa Mangan of Loretto Convent at Stephen's Green both agreed that the Higher level English Paper one was fair exam.

"It was grand. The theme of the paper was pretences. When I first read it I didn't know what that was so I got a bit freaked out but then when I read the comprehension I figured out what they were talking about" said Julie Dolan.

Her classmate Philippa Mangan said the titles of the essays "shook her" but everything else was "really good". She seemed more concerned about the afternoon paper and especially the poets.

"If mine [poet] doesn't come up I'm in big trouble so fingers crossed I'll be ok", she said.

John Stanley of the Institute of Education on Leeson St said he found the ordinary paper 1 "pretty easy to do". He said he wrote a personal essay on his childhood that was "not bad".

Again he said he was more worried about the second paper in the afternoon as he was not as well prepared for that.

Some of the essay titles in today's higher paper included:

• "Let's stop all this pretence! Let's tell each other the unvarnished truth for a change!"Students had to write a personal essay in response to the above.
• "Maintaining this sprinter's pace at marathon length was painful..."Students had to write an article for a magazine for young adult readers in which you give them advice about how to cope with the pressures of modern living.
• "It was mad...Ridiculous."Students had to write a short story suggested by the above title.
• "...Someday I hope to come up with a get-rich idea..."Students had to write a magazine article (serious or light-hearted) in which you outline a get-rich idea of your own.
• "What seems to be the problem...?"Students had to write the speech you would deliver to a group of world leaders in which you persuade them to deal with one or more of the world's problems.
• "Imagine its St. Valentine's Day..."Students had to write an article for a popular magazine on the importance of romance in our lives.

John Stanley who sat his Leaving Certificate today

There are 90 separate examination subjects involving 250 different testing tools including written, oral, aural, practical, project and portfolio exams.

A total of three million examination papers will be circulated over the coming month.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has backed the reform of the Leaving Cert, saying it puts too much emphasis on rote learning.

In an article in The Irish Timesthis morning as 52,000 students begin the exam, Mr Ahern points to the high international standing of the Leaving Cert.

But he also points to several flaws, including the emphasis on rote learning over practical skills and the poor take-up among students of higher level maths.

The most significant changes in this year's exams are the first examinations in the revised syllabuses in Leaving Certificate history and geography, and Junior Certificate science.

Candidates in these examinations have already completed practical coursework leading to their final grade. For Leaving Certificate students taking history and geography,the final written examination is worth 80 per cent of the overall mark.

Candidates taking the examination in the revised science syllabus may have already accumulated up to 35 per cent of their final grade through the completion of the practical coursework element of the exam.

The exams run until Thursday 22nd June for Junior Cert subjects and Friday 23rd June for Leaving Cert subjects. The written examinations in the Leaving Cert applied programme finish on June 15th.

The results of the Leaving Certificate examinations will be available on Wednesday, August 16th. Results of the Junior Certificate will be available in mid-September.