Sir, - There has been much apparently justified criticism of this year's biology paper but I have waited in vain for similar criticism of the maths paper at ordinary level.
Last year, 7,000 candidates (17 per cent) failed ordinary level maths while 40 per cent got an A or B grade. A closer look at these statistics gives a clue as to why this has happened. Only 10,000 students opted for the higher level paper with 40,000 taking the ordinary paper (and 5,000 at foundation level).
Many who would ordinarily be described as honours students have retreated to the safety of the ordinary level paper to avoid any risk of failure that would scupper their chances of attaining the third-level course of their choice. Who can blame them? But in doing so they have raised the standard of the test papers to the disadvantage of the true ordinary level student who is entitled to be examined at ordinary level. It's all too common nowadays to hear comments about "tough questions more suited to the higher level paper" appearing on the ordinary maths paper.
This failure rate has seriously affected many of the 7,000 candidates involved and for some it means repeating the Leaving Certificate or entering the workforce without a maths qualification, which can be a great disadvantage to future career prospects.
This matter needs to be reviewed urgently. Otherwise there will be a great exodus of students to foundation level. What then? Lower level foundation maths and goodbye to the higher level paper? The merry-go-round will then recommence. - Yours, etc.,
M. BOURKE, Grosvenor Square, Dublin 6.