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The Junior Certificate ( of the Republic Of Ireland ; the Juniort Certificate course is formally called the '''Junior Cycle''' and it culiminates with the '''Junior Certificate Examination'''. A "recognised pupil"Definitions, Rules and Programme for Secondary Education, Department of Education, Ireland, 2004 who commences the Junior Cycle must reach at least 12 years of age on January 1 of the school year of admission and must of completed primary education; the examination is normally taken after three years study in a Secondary School . Typically a student takes 9 to 10 subjects, including English, Irish and Mathematics as part of the Junior Cycle. The examination does not reach the standards for College or University entrance, instead a school leaver in Ireland will typically take the Leaving Certificate Examination two or three years after completion of the Junior Certificate in order to reach that standard. The objectiveThe Junior Certificate Examination, Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, Department of Education, Ireland, 2004 of the Junior Certificate is: ...to provide a well-balanced, general education suitable for pupils who leave full-time education at the end of compulsory schooling or, alternatively, who wish to enter on more advanced courses of study. HISTORY The Junior Certificate officially replaced the ''Day Vocational (Group) Certificate'' ("''Day Cert''") and the ''Intermediate Certificate'' ("''Inter Cert''") in 1992 with the first examination; instruction in the new course had commenced in September 1989Circular M16/89, Department of Education, Ireland, 1989. The new, modern course was acclaimed as it was much more flexible than its predecessors. The Junior Certificate quickly became the minimum requirement for getting a job in Ireland. Near the end of the decade, in 1999 the Department of Education and Science began to replace the curriculums of many subjects, particularly those that were dated such as History and Geography . In 2000 Religious Education and Civic, Social And Political Education (CSPE) were introduced as subjects. Religion was phased in with just a few schools adopting it in its first year, whilst CSPE was implemented nationwide. In 2002 a new Science course was introduced. The new course placed emphasise on greater class participation and a move towards giving a percentage of marks for class practicals throughout the three years. In 2004, results were made available on the Internet for the first time, thus for instance, allowing students who had moved school or left school to get their results without having to return to their old school. THE JUNIOR CYCLE The Junior Cycle is the first three years of second level education. In the final year of the course, teachers allocate a substantial amount of time for revision of key topics. Candidates also practice answering questions which appeared on previous examination papers. Courses are quite broad - for example the Business Studies course covers Business Organisation , Marketing , Economics , Accounting and several other areas. The same is also true for the Science course, which covers basic Physics , Chemistry and Biology . The Leaving Cert exam by comparison is much more specific. A "recognised junior pupil" must undertake all the mandatory subjects and at least two of the optional subjects, except in so far as exemptions or exclusions apply. Most schools do not offer all the optional subjects, but must offer all the mandatory and certain optional subjects. Mandatory subjects (Subject levels are in Parentheses .)
†Exemption from taking Irish is subject to Circular M10/94Circular M10/94, Department of Education, Ireland, 1994, on the grounds of time spent abroad or learning disability. Optional subjects (Subject levels are in Parentheses .)
‡Subject exclusions - candidates may not take any of following subject combinations: As of the 2006 (June) examination, Science (with Local Studies) is no longer an exam; Local Studies and Applied Science offered 40% of your grade in Ordinary level or 25% in Higher level. The Science syllabus was revised and the choice for either the Local Studies or Applied Science exams was scrapped, being replaced with one common exam paper, 35% of your Grade in Science now depends on your coursework recorded. THE EXAMINATION The final examination takes place after 3 years of the course, in early June. The exams always start with English , then the other main subjects and finally finish with the subjects that have the fewest candidates. The exams can take the form of written papers, Aural s, Oral s, practicals and marks from course work assignments (such as in CSPE, where 60% of the exam rests on an ''action project)''. Exams are usually 2 to 3 hours long, most subjects are one paper only (i.e. they are taken in a single session), however 4 subjects have two papers at higher level - Irish, English, Mathematics and Business Studies. Levels In general, at the Junior Certificate, students can take an examination subject at one of three levels, they are:
In CSPE , there are no separate levels, all students take the same (''Common'') level. The level taken at Junior Certificate has no bearing on the level taken in the Leaving Certificate; thus for instance a student could take an Ordinary level in the Junior Certificate and then take a Higher level in the corresponding Leaving Certificate subject, later. Grading The pass mark is set at 40%, and anything over 55% is nominally described as an 'honor'. Marking schemes are freely available to students before exams - however at Junior Certificate level, exam papers are not returned after the exam. If a candidate feels he/she has been unfairly marked, they can have the paper rechecked (i.e ''appealed'') for a fee of € 30. To appeal, one must tell one's school's principal. They write a letter to the State Examinations Commission with your exam number and subject of appeal along with the fee. The appeals always have to be in by a deadline (for the year 2005 the appeal results were deadlined for 30th September ). The appeal results are usually released by the second week of November. Irish In the Junior Certificate candidates have the option of answering either in Irish or in English, except in the case of the subjects Irish and English and questions in other language subjectsRule 29, Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, Department of Education and Science, Ireland, 2004. Certain subjects and components are not available for bonus marks, marks awarded also veries depending on the written nature of the subject. Exemptions Students who face disadvantages (i.e. suffer spellling problems from Dyslexia ) etc. can apply for an exemption from being penalised for bad spellings in exams such as English and Irish. These candidate will automatically be awarded all marks possible for spelling (e.g. 20 out of a possible 180 marks going for spelling in English will be automatically awarded). AFTER THE EXAM Results Results are released in mid-September. The Junior Certificate (and more so, the Leaving Certificate ) results take centerplace in the Irish media for the week surrounding their release. The newspapers publish various statistics about the exam and cover high achievers (usually 4 or 5 get 11 As). Schools generally give students (who have received their results) the day off and discos especially for the teenagers are organised most cities and towns. These discos have come under criticism lately due to large amounts of underage drinking. However, this is just a small part of the huge problem of consistent underage drinking in Ireland. Appealing Grades If a student is unhappy with a grade they received on any of the exam results, they may appeal the decision made by the SEC. They need to pay a fee (in 2005 the fee was € 30 and the principal of the school writes a letter of appeal application to the State Examinations Commission, stating the candidate's name, exam number and the exam they would like to appeal. There is a deadline to appeal, usually 14-21 days after the results are published, in which the student's application must be made. The appeal results are usually handed out mid-November. The grade that is received this time is final, and no more appeals can be made. If the candidate's grade did not change, no further action will be taken. However, if a change did occur, then the candidate will be refunded the appeal fee via a Cheque made out to the principal of the school. These refunds take time to be issued, but in an appeal made in 2005(September) the refund was issued as late as March 2006 . Drop-Outs Although school attendance in Ireland is relatively high - many students drop-out of the education system after completion of the Junior Certificate. Many drop-out to pursue Apprenticeship s in the various trades such as carpentry, bricklaying, plastering and mechanics. It is estimated that in parts of Dublin , the drop-out rate is as high as 25% - however the rate is much lower on a national basis. Those who stay in the education system sit the Leaving Certificate - the requirement for college entry in Ireland. There is a new type of Leaving Certificate called the Leaving Certificate applied which is there to prevent people from dropping out. It is all practical work and you can work after school or do an apprenticeship. Transition Year See Also: Transition Year After the Junior Certificate students in many schools can take ''Transition Year'' also called ''4th Year''. It is not part of either the Junior or Leaving Certificate courses and offers students the chance to try new things. During Transition Year, many students participate in enterprise projects, travel to France or Germany to study French or German, do First Aid courses, join volunteer groups or take classes in subjects such as Applied Maths. It is seen as a form of a gap year, to allow students (particularly younger students) a chance to prepare for the Senior Cycle and to develop their weaker subjects. CONTROVERSY There has been much criticism in recent years of both the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate courses by several groups in Irish society - teachers, parents, the media and indeed the students themselves. The main criticisms being voiced are:
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