JUNIOR CERT HOME ECONOMICS:FOR MANY Junior Cert students, the end of the home economics exam yesterday afternoon heralded the start of summer.
The biggest exams are over and home economics students ended on a high with “well-set and well-received” papers at higher and ordinary level, according to the Maura McCaul of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland.
Students were under less pressure than normal with the knowledge that they had a good percentage of marks under their belts already, thanks to a practical examination and project work. Yesterday’s paper was worth 50 per cent of a higher-level mark and 40 per cent at ordinary level.
Higher-level students met a broad range of short questions in the first section of the paper. “They were well-worded and straightforward,” said Kate Hehir of the Teachers Union of Ireland.
The longer questions in section B of the paper required students to answer four questions out of a possible six. A question about the nutritive value of a given label turns up every year and the choice of a fruit smoothie was a good one, according to teachers.