When it came to yesterday's Leaving Cert biology papers, it was a matter of something for everybody in the audience, according to teachers who spoke to Exam Times last night. However, Mr Tim O'Meara, who teaches at St Enda's Community School, Limerick, disagreed. "The higher-level paper," he said, "was quite demanding."
While it would present no difficulty to high-ability students, those at the weaker end would certainly have experienced problems.
"The phraseology was intimidating and over-technical. Knowledge questions were few and far between and choice was limited," he declared. Two questions - 3 and 15 (a) on fungi - came from the same part of the syllabus. Students at De La Salle College, Waterford, though, emerged smiling from the exam, according to ASTI subject convenor, Ms Paula Hewison. However, students in other schools had been less than happy with the paper, she reported. Ms Hewison gave particular praise to the quality of the colour photographs included in both the higher and ordinary-level papers. The only downside of the paper was the dearth of practical questions.
"The course includes 87 practicals - we spend a lot of time on them and the paper could reflect that," she observed.
Mr Ray McGough, who teaches at Bundoran VEC School, Co Donegal, was also pleased with the higher-level paper. "Students came out smiling which is what we want," he told Exam Times. Even so, he had a few quibbles. Question 5 (a), for example, required students to draw a diagram to show the basic structure of a cell membrane and label two components.
Mr McGough believed that this question favoured students with drawing ability. "It would have been better if if they had given the diagram and asked students to name the components," he said. Anticipated questions on genetics, photosynthesis and ecology came up. Question 10 on the plant kingdom was extremely factual and demanded specific information. "But if you knew your stuff, you could answer it very quickly. The students liked it."
The ordinary-level paper received widespread praise. "It was straightforward and presented no difficulties for the well-prepared student," noted Mr O'Meara.
"I was pleased to see a good number of diagrams on the paper. They were clear and well-labelled and easy to see," commented Ms Hewison. Mr McGough praised what he regarded as a well laid out paper. However, a few of the questions could have been off-putting, he said.
The fourth part of question 12 (b) on blood could have confused some students. Weaker candidates may have been deterred by question 13, which included a pollution graph. A question on the ecological surveys they had undertaken would have been preferable, he added.