In brief: Exam body says paper had error

A BLUNDER in this year's Junior Cert business paper occurred when a question deemed 'too difficult' was being replaced, it emerged last night. The error caused considerable confusion on the day when higher-level students were presented with incorrect cash flow forecast figures in one question.

A report from the State Examinations Commission (SEC) to Education Minister Mary Coughlan says that in an early stage in the paper-setting process, question 6 was amended because the original draft question was deemed too difficult. Amendments were made to the electronic version of the paper. In doing so, errors in relation to question 6 were introduced and were not detected subsequently.

Young scientists celebrate results

TWO former winners of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, Richie O'Shea and Aisling Judge, were yesterday celebrating impressive Leaving Certificate results.

Richie O'Shea (18), from Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Blarney, Co Cork - who won the exhibition in January 2010 with his project, 'A biomass-fired cooking stove for developing countries' - notched up 575 points. He will represent Ireland in September at the EU contest for young scientists. Aisling, who attended Kinsale Community School, Kinsale, Co Cork, and who got 550 points, won the exhibition in 2006 for her project entitled, 'The development and evaluation of a biological food spoilage indicator'. At 14, she is the youngest ever winner of the competition.

Irish language 'is in a strong state'

ONE of the leading champions of the Irish language has said it is now at its strongest level in almost 90 years -- even though there is a sharp drop in the number of people taking it at exam level. GAA commentator and renowned gaelgoir Micheal O Muircheartaigh insisted the Irish language was 'very strong' and there were an increasing number of people using it with him both in conversations and in interviews. 'I think the Irish language was never stronger since the 1920s than it is at the moment,' he said.

Detailed figures on the Leaving Certificate released this week show, however, that Irish is continuing its slide in popularity. Just 78pc of candidates took the exam this year as increasing numbers seek exemptions from studying the subject.

Irish Independent