MATHS SHOULD be compulsory for CAO points purposes to ensure students persevere with the subject, according to a report submitted to the Minister for Education Mary Coughlan.
The report of an expert group – seen by The Irish Times– fails to agree on the introduction of bonus points for maths. It does acknowledge Leaving Cert maths at higher level has a heavier workload than other subjects.
The expert group wants colleges to examine a new plan where maths must be among the six Leaving Cert subjects used by students to calculate their CAO points.
This, it says, would reduce the tendency for students to use maths as a “spare subject”. Alternatively, it says colleges should widen the scope of the points system to include seven subjects – one of which must be maths.
While this might be regarded as punitive by those not interested in maths, it would help ensure all “students work hard at mathematics in school’’, it says, and therefore boost standards.
The group, made up of industry and academic experts, says Ireland’s performance in maths is “average’’ which is no longer good enough to encourage a smart economy.
Only 16 per cent of students take higher-level maths in the Leaving Cert, the lowest take-up of any subject at higher level, it notes. It also highlights some “dumbing down’’ in standards. Other key recommendations include:
- A "second chance'' exam in the autumn for students who sit higher-level maths in the Leaving Cert but fail to meet college entry requirements.
- Every student to get a maths class every day with school principals encouraged to deploy their most qualified maths teachers at junior cycle in second-level schools.
- Transition Year should be used to provide innovative learning opportunities and to increase teaching hours.
- New intensive postgraduate courses for the estimated 2,000 teachers who do not currently hold a qualification in mathematics.
The Project Maths Implementation Support Group, chaired by Frank Turpin of Intel, says Ireland urgently needs to improve attainment levels in mathematics generally and to encourage more students to take higher-level maths.
The report backs the “exceptional’’ speed of the Department of Education in rolling out the new, more “user-friendly’’ project maths course. The course, which is being piloted in 24 schools, will be implemented in every school over the next three years.
The report says the feasibility of developing a training and placement programme for mathematics teachers in third-level research and industry should be examined.
It also backs a student mentoring scheme targeting very high-performing students in Junior Certificate maths with a view to encouraging them into careers in science.
