THE Hebrew exam in probably one of the best kept secrets of the Junior Certificate. It does not appear on the official timetable but a spokesman for the Department of Education assured Exam Times that 18 students sat Junior Cert Hebrew Studies yesterday afternoon and eight sat it in the Leaving Cert. They are mainly from Stratford College, Dublin, the Jewish school.
Both ordinary and higher level students had two and a half hours to complete the exams.
Among the questions were an essay on the life of Joseph in Egypt and the importance of the role played by Joshua in the conquest of the land. With so few students sitting the papers, is there any danger of it being discontinued? Absolutely not, the Department's spokesman said. The idea is to cater for as many subjects as possible, he said.