Theme of ‘the future’ gives some students a hard time

IT was a tale of two papers for Leaving Certificate English candidates in the first exam in the subject yesterday.

Some teachers deemed Higher Level challenging, while Ordinary Level students had an easier time of it.

‘The Future’ was the theme in the Higher Level comprehension section, with texts from an interview with Seamus Heaney, an Al Gore speech and the science- fiction novel by Ray Bradbury, ‘Fahrenheit 451’.

Alan Thompson, of TUI and Abbey Vocational School, Donegal, said that while the texts were fair he thought the theme was quite abstract, although overall he felt the paper was manageable.

'There were one or two minor departures from tradition, but nothing that should have posed difficulties,' he said.

Sheila Parsons ASTI and Holy Faith/De La Salle, Skerries, Co Dublin, also took issue with the theme and said a question asking students to project themselves 50 years ahead 'wouldn’t necessarily be easy'.

Students were asked to suggest three images to illustrate the Heaney text, which was 'a bit alternative' and candidates would have had to move out of their comfort zone, she said Mr Thompson agreed that asking candidates to suggest images was 'a departure and a bit subjective'.

But he liked the Gore text, which was a 'perfect example of great speech writing'.

In contrast, 'nobody would be stuck on the essays, about issues such as freedom and a graduation speech', said Ms Parsons, who added that the Ordinary Level paper was suited to its target audience, with 'challenging questions in each of the comprehensions and a nice enough choice of essays'.

- Katherine Donnelly