Modern students are not disciplined enough to concentrate on maths and science subjects for long periods, leading academics from the Institutes of Technology have claimed.
"Modern students (including those who rate in the top 11 per cent) have a lesser propensity to concentrate the mind for extended periods of time," a submission from the heads of science at the institutes states.
The submission to the Government's Taskforce on the Physical Sciences says students need to discipline themselves better. The submission says science subjects are often avoided, not because they are difficult, but because they require serious concentration.
"Science and mathematics both require the ability to pursue a question step by logical step to a successful outcome. Both subjects are viewed as 'difficult', when in fact they are avoided because they require concentrated, continuous and consistent attention," it states.
The submission criticises maths standards of many students who enter third level.
"We observe that inordinately large numbers of students present at third level, with passes in leaving certificate mathematics, who clearly have not studied trigonometry; are unable to process the simplest of intermediate certificate equations and cannot compute a simple percentage, nor position the decimal point following a division by some power of 10."
It says third-level students, driven by the points race, appear to be able to get Leaving Cert grades on the basis of:
Learning equations or formulas by rote
Gaining marks by submitting descriptive rather than mathematical answers
And studying only limited amounts of the course.
It recommends closer integration between maths teachers at second and third level; financial incentives for maths educators and ensuring that students who pass can cope with geometry, simple algebra and calculations.
In another submission to the taskforce, the deans of science of the Irish universities say new students may have to be targeted if school-leavers continue to desert the sciences. "In the light of changing demographics and the problems of science recruitment from schools, it is necessary to target groups other than school- leavers for entry into science programmes to meet the skills needs/shortages in the economy."
The Taskforce on the Physical Sciences is chaired by former president of Dublin City University, Dr Daniel O'Hare. Its report is expected to be published shortly.