IBEC calls for radical changes in education

Irish business group IBEC has today expressed serious concern at the figures released by the OECD in its PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) report.

The report found that the performance of Irish 15-year-olds in maths has not improved since the last survey in 2003, with Ireland ranked 16th out of 30 OECD countries.

The OECD report is one of the largest international studies in achievement, with almost 400,000 students taking part in 57 countries.

Today’s findings are the initial results of the assessment, which was undertaken by 15-year-olds in 30 OECD countries and 27 other countries. Achievement was measured in three areas: science, maths and reading literacy.

In response to the launch of the findings, Siobhan Masterson, IBEC education and training policy executive called on the Minister for Education Mary Hanafin to sign off on the proposed new Junior and Leaving Certificate maths curricula, to ensure that they can be introduced without further delay.

In addition, she said innovative ways of teaching maths need to be developed and supported through investment in the professional development of maths teachers.

"One of the key issues highlighted in the report is that high achieving maths students in Ireland need to be doing better," said Masterson.

"If we are to achieve our stated national objectives of fostering a knowledge-based, innovation driven economy, then we must not just maintain the current number of students performing well in higher-level maths, but increase it dramatically.

"This will not be achieved by tinkering at the edges, but through radical measures to reverse the current trend."