A reasonable paper, but some may have panicked

ALTHOUGH Junior Certificate Religious Education Higher Level paper wasn't the easiest ever, even an average student should have been able to manage it, according to teacher Caroline O'Brien.

Ms O'Brien of the Religion Teachers Association and Holy Child, Killiney, Co Dublin, said students may have panicked because some of the language appeared difficult, 'but if you went back and looked at what exactly they were asking for, it was a reasonable paper'.

Ms O'Brien said there was a new dimension to the comprehension question - this year about the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero in 1980. As well as answering questions on the text, students were asked to write about a person from another major religion whose faith had inspired others.

'Bright students will always manage it, but weaker ones may panic, even though they can do it,' she added.

- Katherine Donnelly

Irish Independent