THERE was a lot more to yesterday's home economics paper than grilling, baking, frying and stewing. Students had to move from texture to gender roles, from passive smoking to healthy diets. The higher level paper was not difficult but, said one teacher, students needed to have covered a lot of work to do the exam.

"It was a very busy paper," said Ms Maureen McGivern, a home economics teachers in Raphoe Vocational School, Co Donegal, and TUI subject representative. These written exams are too long, she said. Too much is being asked for, when students had already got a large percentage of their exam out of the way.

The ordinary level paper was straightforward but the English was "a bit difficult in places" for many students who may have a low reading ability.

Ms Margaret McCluskey, an ASTI subject representative and a home economics teacher at CBS Secondary School in Crumlin, Dublin, said that students were happy with the higher level paper. The only problem was that a question about gender in section B was quite long, she said.

She was pleased with the ordinary level question about the expense involved in sending a girl to post primary school. "It's bringing real life to the students," said Ms McCluskey. "There are good consumer questions on the paper as well."

On the ordinary level course she said one question, which asks students to "sketch the garment you made as part of your textile studies," was not in the core course. Many students would not have made a garment during the course and would not be able to do this "searching question."