‘This paper gave students a lot of opportunities to show their knowledge of the subject’The Leaving Cert art paper provided options for students to wax lyrical. Photograph: Peter Thursfield
Peter McGuireFri Jun 12 2026 - 18:42 • 3 MIN READThe higher-level visual studies paper was thoughtful, contemporary and provided options for students to wax lyrical, but there were some challenges, teachers have said. “This paper gave students a lot of opportunities to show their knowledge of the subject,” said Helena Cunniffe, a teacher at Glenamaddy Community School in Co Galway.“It had a predictable structure and was largely in line with previous years.”Declan Kelly, an art teacher at the Institute of Education, said many students will have recognised Banksy’s 2025 mural, “The Royal Courts of Justice”, as an act of real-time social commentary. “Elsewhere, questions on the Basic Income for the Arts Scheme asked students to think about the place of art within the social fabric, and how we as a society want to ensure it is preserved.”Cunniffe said that a question on the Renaissance in section B was quite specific, with students having to focus on sculpture.“Students may have found it more challenging and would have limited knowledge to draw from,” she said.Kelly said that the State Examinations Commission seems to have listened to some of the criticisms of last year’s paper. “That is not to say that all questions were easy, but students will have found relatively cloud-free vistas into their studied fields,” he said.“Section B on Europe and the Wider world will be viewed as positive by most students. The baroque question was beautifully open-ended and the prompt to discuss ‘grandeur’ will have let them wax lyrical.”Section C of the paper, which focuses on Ireland and its place in the wider world, contained the most difficult question on the paper, Kelly said.“This was a question on the most popular topic: The Georgian period.“Rather than being able to simply discuss the works of this period, the question directed the students to the influences upon the art and architecture, thus funnelling them into a very strict approach to the material. In contrast, the other questions were very comfortable in how they allowed students to shape their responses.“One aspect of this paper I particularly like is how it seems aimed at making them reflect on conversations that ripple out of the classroom or exam hall,” said Kelly.On the ordinary level paper, Cunniffe said that section A, on today’s world, was a particularly nice set of questions which gave students an opportunity to show their learning. However, she said that section B dictated what artists could talk about, rather than letting candidates write about an artist of their own choosing. Try this one at home: Leaving Cert Art, Section A, Question 3Several years after launching a trial, Ireland is the first country in the world to make the Basic Income for the Arts Scheme permanent, starting in 2026. This means that visual artists on the scheme will receive a guaranteed payment each week. This scheme is being praised worldwide.(Adapted from www.artnews.com)(a) What are the benefits for visual artists of having a guaranteed income through this scheme?Give reasons for your answer.(b) In your opinion, how will this scheme benefit Irish society?Give reasons for your answer.IN THIS SECTION
