EAZY E, Seamus Heaney, computers, the Internet, Tom Cruise and Boyzone all vied for space on the Junior Cert Irish papers. The topicality of the papers appealed to students and teachers alike.
"I've never seen such a happy bunch coming out of an exam hall both pass and honours students were delighted with the morning's Irish papers," said Ms Treasa Ni Chonaola, a teacher in St Micheal's College, Ballsbridge, Dublin. However, for higher level students, the delights of the morning were somewhat diminished by an afternoon of long, difficult toil.
Paper one, higher level, featured a "believe it or not" story on ostriches as its comprehension piece. "Normally the bete noir is the comprehension piece, but it was a lovely, tongue in cheek passage. It was funny and very simple in contrast to the usual dreary solemn pieces," she added.
The creative writing question on the higher level paper, which offered a choice of essays, narrative, debate and journalism, also drew plaudits from Ms Ni Chonaola. Her praise was echoed by Ms Sally Maguire, an Irish teacher in St Raphaela's, Stillorgan, who said "the subjects were very topical, including the Olympic Games, TV stars, movie stars, and holidays".
In question two, the comhra, students could chose to write about the day they went home with an unsuitable hairstyle, or a sports star coming to their school. Ms Mi Chonaola said the topics were excellent explaining to mum and dad is an experience most students would have had. "All in all, it was one of the nicest papers 1 have seen since the Junior Cert was introduced."
Students in St Michael's were happy with the aural tapes, but Ms Maguire said some honours students in St Raphaela's found the Donegal accent in sections B and D very difficult. "They said a different Donegal voice earlier in the tape was easy to understand but it was impossible in the later sections."
There was a definite technological bent to the second higher level paper with a poem on Seomra na Riomhairi and a question on the Internet. Despite its topicality, higher level students in St Raphaela's found this paper very difficult, according to Ms Sally Maguire.
One student's reaction sums it up. "Oh Miss, I'll never have to go to purgatory because I was there for two hours". The biggest problem was lack of time many students felt another half hour would have been beneficial.
Ms Ni Chonaola said the second paper was challenging, as it should be, and students were pushed to finish it. ASTI subject representative, Ms Maire Ni Laoire, said the higher level papers were satisfactory overall but some students found question one in the poetry section a little difficult.
Ordinary level students were pleased with the choice offered in the questions on their paper, said Ms Maguire. "Normally, there are points in the postcards question which they don't understand but they had no difficulties this year," she added. Ms Ni Chonaola said the ordinary level paper was very colourful and well laid out with lots of illustrations. It did not pose any problems for the students. She praised the use of the comprehension pieces, about Mariah Carey and Wayne McCullogh, taken from the magazine, Mahogany Gaspipes. "It encourages students and teachers to read outside the texts," she said.
"The foundation level paper was pupil friendly (with photos of Boyzone and Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman) and in line with previous papers, said Ms Ni Laoire. Treasa Ni Chonaola agreed that the foundation level paper did not cause any problems for students. "It was a fine paper, very well laid," said Ms Chonaola, "and there were no problems with the tape".