Apart from Christmas, Easter and Summer term papers, the first major test was the Junior Certificate. Just to retain the scholarship it was necessary to pass seven subjects in this examination. Those who failed were offered the opportunity to pay for a year and then re-sit. Few availed and many students dropped out at this stage of their education. They either went to one of the private secretarial academies where they were taught short-hand, typing and book-keeping, or left to find employment.

The year after Junior Cert was fourth form where we idled away a year until, almost without warning, Senior Cert was upon us!