Junior Certificate results: High failure rates in ordinary level French and in a variety of technical subjects are the main features of the Junior Cert results published today.
The results provide some encouraging news in the problem areas of maths and science. Some 18 per cent of higher level maths students secured an A grade and 10 per cent of students also achieved an A in the new, more practical science exam.
At ordinary level, 6 per cent of students failed maths, a marginal improvement on last year.
One of the highest failure rates at ordinary level is in French, where 14 per cent failed. Failure rates were also high in technical subjects including metalwork (12 per cent), technical graphics (9 per cent) and material technology (7 per cent).
The latest results tend to contradict the popular belief that the Junior Cert is a much "easier" exam than the Leaving Cert. In fact, the percentage of students gaining honours in many subjects is actually lower in the Junior Cert than in the Leaving.
The honours rate, for example, is lower in several subjects including Irish, maths, geography and history. The Government, teachers and business will be heartened by the strong results achieved by students in the new revised science course.
The new syllabus - which places a strong onus on practical work - replaces an old course, widely criticised as overly "bookish".
In all, an impressive 81 per cent of students gained an honour (Grade C or higher) in the new course. The challenge facing schools is to ensure that a good number of these students continue to take science subjects for the Leaving Cert. The pattern in recent years shows that many will take biology for the Leaving Cert, but relatively few opt for physics or chemistry, two subjects that the Government has been championing. This year only about one in six students took physics or chemistry at higher level in the Leaving Cert.
Last night, the head of one business group, seeking to boost student interest in science, urged students to carefully weigh their options. Margie McCarthy of the Engineers Ireland Steps programme said: "It may seem an early decision, but students need to be aware that by choosing science subjects for the Leaving Certificate they are effectively broadening their career opportunities."
Studying science subjects for the Leaving Certificate, she said, is of key importance for a career in engineering and technology and opens doors for many other careers, including veterinary, medicine and pharmacy.
It is important to remember that studying for engineering and related areas will generally require one of the physical science subjects at Leaving Certificate level, she said.
