Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Ada O’Connor who got 8 A’s, Sinead Deasy got 7 A’s and Brian Fox who also got 8 A’s. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
THERE were nerves and excitement in equal measure across all secondary schools in town on Wednesday morning as this year’s Junior Certificate exams students received their results.
Two of the top scorers were Lauren Kelly of Presentation Secondary School and Niamh Ni Chonaill of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí who both fetched a highly impressive 10 As.
Fifty students in Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí completed their Junior Cert exams including two sets of twins.
“They did exceptionally well, we don’t like to focus on just one student, but Niamh Ni Chonaill getting a clean sweep of A’s is fantastic,” said Deputy Principal of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, Ruairi O’Cinneide.
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In Mounthawk 60% of students got As in art which is well over the national average along with three students who received 8 As.
“They were a hard working bunch, you can see that in the results they got back. All the teachers are very pleased with them,” said Deputy Principal of Mercy Mounthawk, Pat Fleming.
Lauren Kelly of Presentation Secondary School got ten A’s in her Junior Cert. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
In 2012 sweeping changes were made to the educational system which will see the Junior Certificate exams become a thing of the past by 2020 and be replaced with a continued assessment form of examination. We asked students and teachers was this a positive move?
“There is definitely an appetite for change. I think we can all see there is value in continued assessment. Because of the changes in Maths there has been an uptake in the subject. This year 60% did honours maths, it was around 45% before, so with the right tweaks there can be change in the education system,” said Pat Fleming.
“The Junior Cert prepares you for doing the Leaving Cert,” said Shelly Howarth, student of Presentation Secondary. “If it goes, students won’t have the experience of doing a big exam,” she said.
“There is a lot of merit in continued assessment,” said Ruairi O’Cinneide at the Gaelcholaiste. “But the fact that students wont be independently assessed does cause a bit of concern. We have seen nationally that parents and teachers have been raising concern about the lack of independent assessment.”
“I think the continued asassessment would be better because a person could have a bad day of the exam, not everyone peaks at exam time,” said Eamonn O’Braoin, student of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí.
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Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Carla Hannifin (who got 8 A’s), Rachel Moloney and Ciara McCarthy. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Corrie Rogers, Claire Shanahan, Chloe Lonergan and Shauna O’Sullivan. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Victoria Murphy, Emma Connolly and Kim Harris. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Eni Gaxha, Sarah Dunworth, Emma O’Connor, Sophia Samy. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Joe Quilter, Phillip Quilter, Adam Bohane, Sean Collins and Rory O’Connor. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Katelynn McCarthy, Anne Dowling, Sarah Falvey and Ciara Jeffers. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Zara Hartnett, Aisling Williams and Aoibhinn O’Brien. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk open up the envelopes that hold the results of their Junior cert exams. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Cathal Egan, Donna Broderick, Tom Moriarty and Cillian Tierney. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Mercy Mounthawk who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Patrick Carney, David McCarthy, Robbie Dinan. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí School who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Aisling Ni Fhuarain, Megan Ni Sheoin, Tara Ni Dhuinnin, Rachel Ni Cinea and Grace Claro. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí School who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Ciaran Uí Briain, Sean Prionndaibheil, Padraig O’Neill and Sean O’Headhra. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Presentation Secondary School who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Katie Ahern and Jennifer Byrne. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Presentation Secondary School who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Aoife Falvey, Andrea Kerins, Grainne Linnane, Kelly O’Brien, Muireann McLaughlin. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Presentation Secondary School who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Aisling Thorntn, Ciara Corridon and Shelly Howarth. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Presentation Secondary School who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Mairead Brosnan, Aoife Brick and Andrea Dillon. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Students of Presentation Secondary School who received their Junior Cert results were, from left: Holly Boyd, Clodagh Carey and Rachel Breen. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
