Business teachers call for greater choice in short section of paper

Junior Certificate business studiesThe Business Studies Teachers' Association has called for greater choice in the short question section of the Junior Certificate papers, which currently requires students to attempt all set questions.

Gerry McCarthy, an exam spokesman for the association and a teacher in De La Salle college in Macroom, Co Cork, said both papers had been favourably received but that the first section involving 20 compulsory questions needed to be reviewed.

"There were two internal choices in two of the higher level questions which is a slight improvement, but the Business Studies Teachers' Association would like to see more choice in this section," he said.

The second aspect of the morning paper, which contained questions on budgets, club accounts, economics, banking and insurance, was deemed accessible to students. However, one relatively new question based on identifying two legal requirements for opening a deposit account may have caused problems, said Mr McCarthy.

In the afternoon higher paper, students had to complete four out of six questions, which allowed them to avoid the two detailed bookkeeping questions if they wanted to. The remaining options on employer wages, delivery system, marketing and business documents featured a smaller element of book-keeping, which is unpopular with students, said Mr McCarthy.

Ivan O'Callaghan, a TUI subject representative and teacher in Pobail Scoil Rosmini, Drumcondra, Dublin, said the two higher-level papers were approachable and should have been attainable for the average student and challenging for the brighter student. "The two papers fit this category and I would like to congratulate the examiners on the design and content of the paper," he said. He further commended examiners on setting an ordinary-level paper that was well laid out and provided fair questions.

He noted that the first question requiring students to explain the familiar initials of Vat and then the somewhat out of context initials of VDU may have thrown some who were making a nervous start to the paper.

Mr McCarthy said higher and ordinary level papers were along "predictable lines". Unlike the higher paper, whic'h offered two internal choices, the ordinary-level paper offered no such choice and students were required to answer all 20 questions.