BLUE FISH, white birds, tiny flower-pot holders, small houses, miniature animals, coloured tiles all jostle for position on the table. All of these colourful clay models were wrought by enthusiastic artists and Junior Cert students Darragh Stewart, Shane Bissett, David Courtney, Raymond Flynn and Michael Loran.

"I wasn't even interested in art in my other school," says Darragh. A surprising statement for somebody who just explained the intricacies of lino-printing and who has produced an impressive portfolio of work. He is now keen, enthusiastic and articulate.

The different techniques and the tools of the artistic trade obviously interest the four teenagers enormously (Michael was unavoidably absent on the day we visited the centre) and they are keen to display all of their year's work. They have already sat the life-drawing part of the Junior Cert and they say that it went well.

They are also pleased with their woodwork where they made basic shelving as well as completing their Junior Cert project. All five students will sit four Junior Cert subjects this year - art, woodwork, foundation-level Irish and foundation-level maths.

Ms Rosemary O'Connor, principal and co-ordinator of the Junior Cert Elementary programme in St Anthony's Junior Education Centre, Athlone, Co Westmeath, explains that students also take life skills and health education. "As well as preparing them for literacy and numeracy, the personal and social development issues are a very important part of the programme," she adds.

"Most of them love art and we have developed a lot of cross-curricular work. The value of the programme is that we can crosslink the various subjects."

For instance, maths can be linked with woodwork as the pieces of wood must be measured and shaped to fit. Equally, volumes and weights can be tackled in a practical way in home economics. "It's a link which it's not easy to make in mainline education where there is a more academic thrust," says Ms O'Connor. Success in one area also gives students confidence to tackle other subjects, she notes.

Ms O'Connor is keen to stress the fact that, although much of the work is cross-curricular, it is not haphazard. There is a timetable which is adhered to strictly. She says that the profiling system, which gives students credits for their achievements, gives students recognition for their attendance and their work. But, the fact that the focus is on a national examination is very important to both students and their parents.

It has wide-reaching consequences with a knock-on effect in the families of the students. If one member does a State exam, it becomes a legitimate aspiration. Ms O'Connor says that she also thinks this programme is setting the foundations for the next generation - the students will want their own children to participate in education.

Meanwhile, it's time for the students to give their mock maths papers a final post-mortem examination. Shane is wrestling with a pie-chart while the others muse over the problems which the paper caused them. But, again, they are all very positive and do not anticipate problems with the real thing.

Talk turns to the school tour which was obviously a huge success. The trip to the jail in Kilmainham, Dublin, prompts a lively discussion of the conditions in which the prisoners were held, the role of women in the War of Independence... while the students do not study history and geography as exam subjects they are included in the overall course. Activities such as the school trip help bring these studies to life.

THE TYPE of cross-curricular approach demanded by the Junior Cert Elementary poses challenges for the teachers involved in the centre and back-up is vital. Ms O'Connor is enthusiastic about the support services located in the curriculum development unit in Dublin. There is in-service training for teachers as well as co-ordinators' meetings and the dissemination of any information available is tremendous, she adds.

The small pupil-teacher ratio also helps as teachers can get to know the pupils individually and to understand their needs. They can identify the areas they like working with and then build on their strengths.

The year before last, one student from St Anthony's sat two subjects in the Junior Cert so this year's five students represent another leap forward. And, waiting in the wings, there are eight students who have just embarked on the Junior Cert Elementary programme.