AS OVER 55,000 students receive their Junior Cert results this morning, senior education figures say the exam is set to be overhauled shortly.
Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe has signalled his support for a shake-up of the Junior Cert exam with fewer subjects and a move away from traditional rote learning.
This year’s results are broadly in line with previous years, but there will be concern about the high percentages failing key subjects at ordinary level.
Over 7 per cent, or close to 4,000 pupils, failed ordinary-level maths, while over 12 per cent failed ordinary level French.
Failure rates were also high in metalwork (14 per cent), technical graphics (10 per cent), environmental and social studies (8.5 per cent) and business (7 per cent).
The honours rate or the percentage gaining an A, B or C grade at higher level – is slightly down to 78 per cent in maths and to 77 per cent in science.
In all, 77 per cent of students secured an honour in English and 81 per cent gained an honour in business.
This year, 12 students secured nine A grades in the Junior Cert. Over 1,000 students gained eight A grades or more in the exam.
The results tend to undermine the common view that the Junior Cert is much “easier” than the Leaving Cert.
In fact, the honours rates in several Junior Cert subjects – Irish, French, history and maths – is lower than in the Leaving Cert exams.
Some 80 per cent of Junior Certs secured an honour in Irish, compared with the higher figure of 87 per cent in this year’s Leaving Cert.
Similarly, 78 per cent gained Junior Cert honours in maths, compared with 81 per cent in the Leaving Cert. The Minister has asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to review the exam.
He wants the council to review international practice and examine the issue of overload and time for active learning.
Introduced in 1989, the Junior Cert – which replaced the Inter Cert – was intended to broaden the educational experience of students.
However, it has increasingly become a mirror image of the Leaving Certificate.
Several Junior Cert subjects are still examined entirely by written exams including English, maths, business studies, history and geography.
This means that the exam is unloved among educationalists who favour independent learning. But parents tend to support the exam, regarding it as an important “dry run” for the Leaving.
In a major speech in June, the Minister said that the debate on education had become increasingly critical of a second-level system seen by many as “driven by rote learning and examination pressures, rather than the promotion of real understanding and skills”.
The Minister said that there was a need for greater emphasis on assessment for learning, practical project and portfolio assessment and the time which is necessary to promote self-directed learning. Students need to be flexible, adaptable, resilient and competent, he added.
Last night, ASTI president Joe Moran, expressed concern about the impact of the education cuts on junior cycle education: “The increase in the pupil/teacher ratio means larger classes for every student, while the cap on language support teachers will negatively affect newcomer students at a crucial time in their education.”
Mr Moran encouraged students receiving their results to celebrate in a safe manner. “Nobody wants today’s celebrations to end in tragedy,” he said.
