Positive mental attitude highlighted

THE importance of having a positive mental attitude was among the issues that Junior Certificate home economics higher level candidates dealt with yesterday.

The many students for whom the exam represented the end of the Junior Cert, may have found that a particularly nice topic. A lot of pressure was off home economics candidates yesterday because at higher level the written paper accounts for only 50pc of the marks, while it is 40pc at ordinary level.

Straightforward

Maura McCaul of the ASTI and Loreto College, St Stephen's Green, Dublin said both papers were very fair and straightforward with no nasty surprises.

They had been well received by the students that she had talked to, she said.

Other topical issues at higher level included obesity and the Small Claims Court.

She said students would have been well prepared for the Section B question on the comparative assessment of the nutritive value of blackcurrants and apples.

Questions on advertising and role of the Advertising Standards Authority, and the respiratory system and the effects of smoking were also very straightforward.

Ordinary level candidates had questions on budgeting and credit buying that they would have liked, she said

However, Question 14, asking them to differentiate between organic and inorganic, would have been challenging, she said.

"Other than that it was well received," Ms McCaul added.

- Katherine Donnelly

Irish Independent