‘They’re smiling as they leave exams’
THERE WERE smiles all around last week as the opening days of the Leaving and Junior Certs got under way at schools around Enniscorthy.
Enniscorthy Vocational College deputy principal Kay Kennedy said that the students seem very positive with the exams so far.
‘At the moment there is a very positive vibe in the school. The students are all leaving the exam centres with smiles on their faces, so we are taking that as a very positive sign.
‘ There haven’t been any complaints so far so that’s great. The teachers of the subjects already sat are also happy so it seems to be going well for our students so far.’
Kay said that there are around 190 students sitting exams at the school this year between Leaving and Junior Cert.
Meanscoil Gharman vice principal Cecile O’Connor said that so far the exams haven’t thrown up any surprises.
‘Overall the students seem very happy and positive with the exams so far and there haven’t been any great surprises in the papers.
‘We have 34 students sitting the Junior Cert and 30 students sitting the Leaving Cert. They have all been working very hard all year and they are leaving exams in good form so that’s great.’
She said that while it was early days she hoped that the trend would continue and wished them luck for the rest of the exams.
Enniscorthy CBS deputy principal Brendan O’Sullivan said the boys are relatively happy with the exams so far.
‘ The Junior Cert and Leaving Cert Applied students have been happy so far, saying that the exams have gone more or less according to plan with no twists or turns.
‘ The students sitting the Leaving Cert Higher English paper have described the papers as challenging. In terms of Engineering they were positive, while Geography was described as not straightforward – tough, but doable – but you’d expect that. They have been happy with Maths. So far things are progressing along expected lines and by Tuesday the exams will start to spread out and the heavy load will be done.’
Mr O’Sullivan concluded: ‘Nationally there doesn’t seem to have been any curveballs and I think that’s important for the students, especially in the early days of the exams.’