JC English 2025 Short Story!

Treppen · 04-06-2025 03:58PM #1

So just found out today that English teachers in our school didn't bother doing short stories. That's weird I thought! Then a student told me she texted friends in other schools and they don't didnt do short stories either. Majority of students answered with the Novel they had studied!

I asked old chat gpt was it on. And it returned a yes. What gives?

Yes, short stories are prescribed for Junior Cycle English in Ireland — though not in the same way as novels or films.
The official Junior Cycle English specification from the NCCA doesn’t prescribe a fixed list of short stories like it does for studied novels, plays, or films. Instead, it requires that students engage with a variety of texts across different genres and forms — including short stories — as part of “texts chosen by the school” and classroom-based assessments (CBAs).
Here's how it works:
Schools must ensure students experience a variety of texts, including short stories, poetry, drama, and non-fiction.
For the Final Assessment (exam), the SEC provides a prescribed list of texts, but this mostly applies to novels, films, and plays.
Short stories typically form part of a wider reading experience rather than being named individually on official lists.
Teachers have the freedom to choose short stories that suit the learning outcomes, their class context, and the students' needs.
In practice:
Many teachers use short stories to teach narrative structure, style, and reading comprehension.
They're often used to prepare for CBAs or to explore themes relevant to the curriculum, such as identity, relationships, or coming-of-age.
So while there's no canon of “must-teach” short stories, they're definitely a core part of the Junior Cycle experience — like unsung backup dancers in the big show of curriculum design.

poppers · 04-06-2025 04:05PM

my sons school didnt do them either, bit ridulous that a question can be asked on something that schools seem to think is optional.

Treppen · 04-06-2025 06:42PM

I think this is where the clincher might be..

Schools must ensure students experience a variety of texts, including short stories, poetry, drama, and non-fiction.

Strange for English teachers to miss this

SaoPaulo41 · 04-06-2025 06:53PM

My son didn't do a short story, he said he answered with the novel.

acequion · 04-06-2025 09:24PM

As an English teacher I would very much take exception to your comments, Treppen! You claim that the teachers in your school "didn't bother doing short stories" and "strange of teachers to miss that." Outrageous remarks from a fellow teacher towards your colleagues! But you clearly don't teach English and are not familiar with the course, with the exception of the snippets you post above.

The junior cycle English course is very broad and with the reformed junior cycle emphasis on learning outcomes, is also quite vague.Added to the subject getting less timetabled slots over the two years to make way for stuff like wellbeing. However, English teachers are well aware that short stories are a part of this huge course as are a wide variety of all sorts of unprescribed texts, in addition to a prescribed course. But never before has the exam zoomed in on an element of the plethora of unprescribed texts to the exclusion of the prescribed texts. Until today.The majority of English teachers would have given exam focus to two novels while looking at some short stories along the way. So if you had said teachers "didn't bother" doing novels you might have some grievance as short stories would be a lot less work.

I'm very annoyed at this question in today's exam because the harder workers who slogged through two novels felt short changed and yes, many answered that question with one of their novels. I really hope that the marking scheme will take a liberal approach and that they won't be penalised.

Deisesqu1 · 05-06-2025 07:44AM

I think a lot of English teachers will be on the defensive. Knowing something on the curriculum and for the class to not even having one short story in the bag, in the event of a curve ball being thrown isn't good enough.

It's clear some schools did have 2/3 short stories prepared, so as a parent of a very hard working child (who had no idea a short story was on curriculum , as never mentioned) who stands to lose over 8 percent in the subject through no fault of their efforts, I don't think teachers talking about a wide curriculum cuts it.

Totally teacher dependent, some students were totally prepared for a short story question. It set a very negative tone for students, first state exam , worrying if similar will happen in the upcoming exams.

Treppen · 05-06-2025 08:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123515718#Comment_123515718

It's either on the course or it's not!

It's obvious some students were properly prepared and some were not.

No point in giving me the tears about so much being on the course. I teach maths and it's a struggle getting everything covered so I'm all cried out in that regard. Plus our hours have also been cut. Anything I don't have time to get done I say to the students, "look this is rarely asked but it's required to learn, here's a video of the explanation plus worked solutions". And they do it themselves. This is not unusual for any of my maths colleagues who are stuck for time.

At the very least my son could have been told that they could read a short story over the holidays at any time in the 3 years of study (given a quick assignment to summarise, even chatgpt it) ! Instead I'm now being told 'well it never came up before so probably won't ever come up', even though this is a relatively new course.

airy fairy · 05-06-2025 09:27AM

I have a daughter who walked out of her exam yesterday very upset. She never knew about a short story. Tbh I thought she had just messed up until I started reading online about it and she saw it herself on tictoc, discussions about it.

I'm fairly p***ed off on her behalf. 8% down on her first exam, working her socks off. And 3 years to even touch on a short story and it couldn't be done?

And before anyone starts, I'm not teacher bashing. My older daughter is going into her final year of secondary school teaching in college. She said if something hasn't been asked before, they don't cover it ....in jc or LC, that's what she's being taught ..like wtf.

acequion · 05-06-2025 11:00AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516293#Comment_123516293

Another outrageous post that in no way explains or excuses your obvious teacher bashing to your fellow colleagues. As a Maths teacher you wouldn't have a clue what the English course entails and what is exam focus so you're talking rubbish saying some students were "properly prepared" and others were not. It appears that you are looking at this from a parent's perspective, the type that will always blame the teacher.

The fact is that EVERY English teacher covers the short story. They can't avoid it as every text book in the first three years includes several short stories. Not only that but teachers will use the stories as a stepping stone to the novel in terms of the characteristics of the fiction genre. These are all the famed learning outcomes, which all the proponents of educational reform, [of which I'm not one] claim we should be focusing on rather than the terminal exams.

Therefore the "properly prepared" and not spoonfed student should have been able to manage that question with even a vague recollection of any of the stories read or indeed make one up and give it a fictional title and author. That doesn't make it any less of a mean and totally out of the blue question, but if you must blame somebody, blame the powers that be who on the one hand, claim the exam system must be overhauled as it's too stressful, yet on the other, throw curve balls like that on young JC students.

acequion · 05-06-2025 11:12AM

There is no way your daughter's teachers wouldn't have "touched on" short stories, read my post above.You can't avoid the short story as it is a part of the fiction genre which is a regular on the final exam. While it was undoubtedly unfair to word that question as short story only, rather than short story or novel, which has always been the case, there was no call for your daughter to walk out and mess up the rest of the exam, which on the whole was a reasonable paper. She could have used her novel like the majority of other students around the country. Those who used the novel will possibly lose some marks but I very much doubt they will get penalised the entire 8%. In fact I would be surprised if novels were not accepted for the answer given the fine line between the definition of a short story and a novel and given the general backlash against this question from students, teachers, parents and all.

airy fairy · 05-06-2025 01:01PM

I think if any teacher 'touched' on short stories, it was in the beginning of first year, 12 year olds, 3 years ago, as seems to be on a few posts on X. I've looked at notes, both self wrote and teachers here this morning, 3 sets as this isn't my first time round, and there's nothing, absolutely nothing, on short stories. (Different teachers) There are teachers online saying they never covered it as they've never been relevant.

Similar has happened the maths, physics and art curriculums for the LC. Chunks left out. Not huge, but chapters.

acequion · 05-06-2025 01:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517217#Comment_123517217

Waste of time trying to talk to some people here as they are just hell bent on finding someone to blame.So blame the safe old target, the teachers.😒

If you knew anything about the various subject curricula or were even vaguely aware of "reforms" which teachers went on strike to protest over, you would realise that "touched on" is exactly what is both required and practical for many smaller sections of huge courses and this does not constitute "huge chunks left out," but teachers professionally covering their courses but having to make judgement calls as to what to really zoom in on for exam purposes. And for that the only guidance is exam trends and exam papers. Teachers are not supposed to have a narrow exam focus on absolutely all material covered as that defeats the overall purpose of education and learning, nor are they physically able to as timetabling does not allow it.

If, on the other hand, parents feel strongly that absolutely every last detail must be revised, what is stopping them from checking the syllabi, freely available to check online, and making sure their sons and daughters go every single thing? All the material will be somewhere in their text books, in the many hundreds of pages. I certainly don't agree with putting that level of pressure on youngsters, but if you want to do everything to the letter, there you go.

Also, several subjects start the junior cycle exam course in first year when kids are only 12/13 and no, not everything can possibly be revised, especially not smaller topics that have never appeared alone in an exam paper.

But go keep blaming the teachers if it makes you feel better!

wingnut · 05-06-2025 02:33PM

I'm a teacher (not English mind) and I was thinking it is a sad state of affairs if a student sitting the JC has never read a memorable short story either in or out of school (or even through primary school) that could draw on for the question.

airy fairy · 05-06-2025 02:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517423#Comment_123517423

Very defensive response there, no? Can one not critique teachers without some going into a defensive mode?

No, I've no intention of doubling my child's study time. I don't have time anyway, as I'm working to pay for grinds for my LC kids to fill in the gaps where they're not being taught in school.

Wouldn't you offer your services yourself as you're so good at lecturing!

maude6868 · 05-06-2025 03:33PM

Isn't it amazing that Leaving Cert English students loved their paper yesterday. Junior Cycle has been a shambles from the start. A great student cannot show off their ability in JC with ridiculous questions in a speed test. A weaker student can do quite well. In Leaving Cert English the great student flourishes and is allowed to express themselves creatively and show off their knowledge and work. Which paper needs reform? I have taught English for 32 years. Yes, I covered short stories in JC as a means to study narrative language and the structure of a short story. They were not treated as 'studied' texts however, same as most schools in the country. The new Leaving Cert will be a shambles and will place huge stress on students. Parents need to be aware that more of the same is on the way. Thank God I'm retiring early. It's a shame what has been done to what was once a fabulous English education for our students.

acequion · 05-06-2025 03:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517614#Comment_123517614

Who is being defensive now??

I have no problem whatsoever taking criticism where it is fair and justified. In this case it isn't and I have tried to explain why in my "lectures" above.

I wish your child well in the rest of his/her exams and onwards.

acequion · 05-06-2025 03:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517566#Comment_123517566

You're right and the majority will have done so ie read a memorable story. Not only that but they are also taught how to write short stories so they could even invent one with a fictional title to answer that question.

But the problem is that it was such an out of the blue, unexpected question that it completely threw them. And being only young in their very first state exam, many froze like the proverbial rabbit in the headlights, poor things.They simply would have been unsure what to do, therefore many fell back on their well prepared novels, which I sincerely hope the marking will allow. It really was a disgraceful curve ball to throw out with all the talk about reducing exam stress and increasing well being. But as a poster above pointed out, that whole new JC has been a badly thought out shambles and expect more of the same with the reformed LC. Parents would be better employed lobbying their TDs about this rather than blaming the old easy target, the teacher.

Treppen · 05-06-2025 04:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516782#Comment_123516782

Ok so if "every English teacher covers the short story". Then what's the problem here?

Are you saying there is no problem?

Treppen · 05-06-2025 04:31PM

Hold on a second there, is a novel a short story?

I've heard from my son of many students who didn't use the Novel specifically because they assumed a novel is not a short story!

The syllabus even puts the short story in a different category to the novel btw.

https://t.co/F0ZaijNJ2c

Treppen · 05-06-2025 04:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517423#Comment_123517423

Short stories are either on the course or they're not, which is it?

This is what the department says...

Screenshot_2025-06-05-16-35-44-585_com.google.android.apps.docs-edit.jpg

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/c547ebff-8813-450c-9e23-0c7c0f427e33/Prescribed-material-for-JC-English-for-examination-2024_-2025_2026.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiYnb3izdqNAxW1WUEAHTLeCREQFnoECAsQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw2mEQH7quPBax1os7LRjInw

https://t.co/F0ZaijNJ2c

acequion · 05-06-2025 06:41PM

Where did I say they're not on the course and that teachers don't cover them???? Just where?

And are you for real asking what the problem is? Or are you just trying to beat a teacher into a corner. Go back and read my posts here, which you obviously haven't read and read and listen in general why everyone, teachers and students alike, feel aggrieved by that question. And maybe consider it all again with an open mind if that isn't too hard for you. I have no intention of repeating it all for you. But I get the impression that you just want to blame the English teachers, soft target, which you did very aggressively in your first post.

I wonder would you march into your staffroom and attack your colleagues, teachers of English, as you have done anonymously here?

Finally, no a short story is not a novel. However it is the same category, Fiction, and just a shorter version of the same thing. Some of the novels on the course are novellas rather than novels. So I could understand a young student in the heat of the moment, in a very time pressured exam, falling back on one of their novels as they would not have focused on any of the "number of short stories" to the same extent. And I would hope that the marking scheme will make allowances. Having experience as an examiner, I have seen the marking scheme amended for all sorts of things.

amacca · 05-06-2025 11:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516293#Comment_123516293

Doesn't it say something about how broad the specs/syllabus are that one would have to resort to what essentially amounts to a ......this is on the course but I don't have time to do it...and in the JCs case the vagueness and confusion about depth of treatment

Would it be mad to suggest one should be able to reasonably cover what's on the specs/syllabi without having to resort to this

What is the fascination with putting so much on it becomes a behemoth to get through never mind teach in an engaging way either via loading up the spec or leaving things vague so people end up throwing different parts of the kitchen sink at it....I often wondered about our model of development groups with terms of reference and the difficulty of actually cutting out material that is irrelevant/maybe outdated or simply too time consuming

And this with a backdrop of tuition time decreasing to make way for other elements of LC and I assume JC

The new LC specs are supposed to be designed for 180hrs I think, glancing at one or two I'd be familiar with, it's a tall order...actually let me clarify that...very tall order to do everything mentioned in the kind of detail that would guarantee a good student solely relying on the teacher and what they "cover" for want of a better word will achieve to the very best of their potential....if say a particular aspect is examined in detail and ...there appear to still be greyish areas ....nothing like the masterclass in vagueness in the JC though by the looks of it

Admittedly, knowing nothing about JC english I really wonder is all the blame to be laid at the English teachers door...fair enough if it's on it and some have it covered then you can see where the finger is pointing...but if covering comes down to mentioning it and saying do it youself with these aids I've prepared in a lot of cases then maybe too much is being crammed in or the spec ain't specific enough so everyone knows not only what page they are on but how many they have to get through...

I'd be thinking solely blaming the teacher could be missing the bigger picture tbh especially when you consider how the system has evolved in recent years

Treppen · 06-06-2025 08:06AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123518233#Comment_123518233

Question remains, why did some teachers cover it and some not, when it's a mandatory part of the course?

Treppen · 06-06-2025 08:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123518233#Comment_123518233

I think the question should be dismissed, especially if students are going to be awarded marks for writing about the Novel and others are organised because they know Short Stories are not the same as Novels.

The link with "fiction" is tenuous , poetry can also be "fiction" and it tells a short story.

The specification clearly had short stories separate to novels

Random sample · 06-06-2025 08:23AM

My understanding is that all teachers cover short stories in first year, but most assumed they would not be examined, so didn’t revise them in third year therefore students didn’t prepare them.

I presume maths teachers do not revise all topics from first and second year in third year, but there’s no assumption that this will prevent them appearing on the exam.

Most revision is done through past papers, so if something hasn’t been asked before, it won’t be revised in class.

There’s an interesting discussion on Twitter about the function of exam questions, are some of them there to remind teachers what they should be covering?

acequion · 06-06-2025 07:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123519358#Comment_123519358

Can't answer that question nor would I even attempt to as it's certainly not my place to take a holier than thou approach to what my colleagues are doing. I'm neither in the inspectorate nor in any position superior to them and nor, I suspect, are you.

However, unless an English teacher had the same class for the three years and for the entierety of the three years without a text book [extremely rare I would think] it is almost impossible that short stories were not covered at some point. The problem, as you well know, is that they werent zoomed in on for revision purposes. As I pointed out to another poster, that with the course being so broad and with virtually everything potentially appearing on the exam paper, following your logic hundreds of pages would have to be gone back over which would be torture to impose on a young JC student.And that is in addition to two novels, two dramas,a film, poetry and all elements of writing.You seem to be implying that has to be done and I think that's insane.Defeats the whole purpose of education and takes all enjoyment from the subject.

You are also wrong in your second point about short stories and fiction.They are separated out in the subject specification simply because there is prescribed and unprescribed and all the prescribed material, including the novels is laid out first, then the unprescribed,including short stores and there is a lot of unprescribed material, that's the problem.However short stories are in the same literary category as Fiction. I think I might know the subject better than you as I have been teaching it for over 30 years. Yes you are right on one thing that a short story is not a novel and I don't know what the examiners will decide to do with that question as I won't be marking this year. But given that so many as you patronisingly say, were "not organised"and given the overall unfairness of that question, I am hoping it gets marked leniently. I'm very glad you won't be marking it!

This is my last post to you on this subject. I neither agree with nor appreciate your position as I find it extremely narrow minded and unfair to hard working teachers and hard working students. But pointless engaging in a further tit for tat.

Treppen · 06-06-2025 09:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123521279#Comment_123521279

No it's all fair points you're making. Just a bit miffed that some teachers had covered it and some hadn't, any English teacher I did ask just kind of shrugged it off as if it was the SECs fault for putting it on.

I just surprised at the divide between those who had and had not covered it.

I presume everyone will be covering it from now on though.

rainbowtrout · 08-06-2025 03:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516782#Comment_123516782

You can't claim every teacher covers the short story because it's in the text books. Lots of teachers skip sections of text books - and I'm talking about my own science subject here. Some teachers don't use text books at all.

The fact that lots of students are saying they didn't study a short story would suggest that there are teachers who haven't done it.

rainbowtrout · 08-06-2025 03:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123519387#Comment_123519387

If it's on the course it can be examined, just because it hasn't been examined before doesn't mean it will never turn up. What is on the specification is what can be examined, not a teacher's feeling that 'it never comes up, so we don't have to do it/don't have to revise it'

airy fairy · 08-06-2025 03:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123525944#Comment_123525944

Unfortunately there was a good bit of teacher feeling this year. I understand it's only JC but doesn't bode well for 14/15 year old kids. They're bearly learning how to study independently, and will do what the teacher advises.

Another one this week was the teachers had a feeling that Glaciers wouldn't be asked about, again several schools had teachers with those feelings....they were wrong.

acequion · 08-06-2025 11:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123525944#Comment_123525944

Jesus another non English teacher on here preaching and pontificating!!

How many more times do I have to say it!! The course is impossibly broad. If teachers have to force an indepth revision of absolutely everything in both prescribed and unprescribed, that's the death knell for any enjoyment of what is a lovely subject. Do teachers like you not realise how massive an advert ye are for everything that is unfair and objectionable about high stakes terminal exams??

Sorry but you are also displaying non English teacher ignorance about text books so perhaps stick to your own subject! In English, first year would be virtually unteachable without a text. Unthinkable in my school that any teacher would be allowed go it alone like that and have no book.Textbooks are mandatory in every first year class and now in second /third as well. So short stories and all the unprescribed are done in first year because they are in those texts. But now they will all be flogged to the very death which will be horrendous. I'm retiring so it won't be my problem but I do love the subject and hate to see how this will very much undermine the teaching of it going forward, And English teachers could do without being preached at by so called colleagues like yourself.

And also if you read my many posts on this thread you might see where I suggested that the very zealous student and parent can check the subjects specs themselves and revise absolutely everything if they so wish. Hundreds of pages but good luck if that's what they want to do. After all are we not trying to foster a certain amount of initiative and independence in our students? But still the teacher's fault when things go wrong,a convenient scapegoat!

JC English 2025 Short Story!

Answers