Junior Cert music and technology: Creative interludes highlight gender disparities

Music provided a welcome interlude for over 10,000 students on the penultimate day of the Junior Cert exams.

Samantha Conroy, a music teacher at Firhouse Community College in Dublin 24, said the higher-level exam was more or less as expected. She had particular praise for the layout. "Students have to listen to musical excerpts while they are writing, and the design of the paper facilitated this, especially for anyone who may have numeracy or literacy difficulties."

She said one part of question five, which asked about musical forms, was “aimed at students who are looking for that A grade, but it’s good to see challenges in there”.

Students already completed a practical exam last April, which accounts for 25 per cent of overall marks.

Conroy said the ordinary level paper “didn’t contain anything too tough, although there was a bit of a challenge in question eight on the key of B flat”.

Technology

In the afternoon, an estimated 3,305 students sat the technology exam which, following a project which was submitted a few months back, counts for 50 per cent of marks.

Fiona Byrne

, a technology teacher at

Castleknock Community College

, said the higher-level paper was well received by students. “It is a text-heavy paper and a very broad curriculum. It was all very fair, although students had to answer a question on electronics which is normally optional.”

The ordinary-level paper was “nice and current”, with topics including the Mars Rover and car technologies.

Both the music and technology papers provide insights into gender splits in schools. Just under 72 per cent of students taking Junior Cert music are female; around 18 per cent of the 3,305 Junior Cert technology students are girls.