Junior Certificate CSPE: Students of Civic Social and Political Education were yesterday treated to a "name that face quiz" which might have stumped anyone unfamiliar with European politics.

Fortunately, European Commission president José Manuel Durao Barroso's name was offered alongside those of Mary Hanafin, Mary O'Rourke and Kofi Annan - so, by process of elimination, students should have been able to complete section one successfully.

The paper was warmly received by teachers and students as it contained a selection of topical issues, including the Make Poverty History campaign and the Know Racism campaign. Students were required to devise action plans to tackle problems such as environmental pollution, poverty and racism, and their approaches to tackling social problems. Brendan O'Regan of the Association of CSPE Teachers expressed the concern that too many action questions might have left some students resorting to repetition. "Some students may have offered public protests as the answers to all social problems," Mr O'Regan suggested.