Maths policy doesn’t add up

Actions, not words, are what is needed, writes Education Correspondent Niall Murray

Industry leaders have raised valid questions about Government commitment to meeting the demands of growing sectors such as engineering and science, at a time when there has been little improvement, if any, in participation and performance in maths and science subjects.

Ordinary-level maths is taken by almost two-thirds of Leaving Certificate students, but 12%, or one-in-eight, failed this year.

Along with the 5,500-plus who took foundation-level maths, they are automatically ineligible for hundreds of college courses.

Of almost 9,900 higher-level students, more than 4% have failed in each of the past two years.

Ita McGuigan, project manager with the Institution of Engineers' Science, Technology and Engineering Programme for Schools (STEPS), said the decline in numbers doing well at maths is extremely worrying.

This is so after considering the subject's importance for courses in engineering, science and technology.

"The continued success of our economy is dependent on a highly skilled workforce and poor maths results could be indicative of an impending crisis in delivering top graduates," she said.

These figures and similar worrying statistics in science subjects are being flagged as warning signs for trouble in the economy.

Biology is one of the most popular optional Leaving Certificate subjects, taken by more than 25,300 students this summer.

But of almost 8,000 ordinary-level candidates, more than 1,450 almost 20% failed and almost 1,100 did not pass at higher level.

But while Education Minister Mary Hanafin and Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin have not been shy to talk up the benefits of studying science and the need to develop the 'knowledge economy'.

However, while they do this, the 2002 Task Force on Physical Sciences is gathering dust on the shelves of their departments.

School teachers and leaders in the higher education sector are not content to just sit back.

They are quick to point out the number of recommendations for greater investment in science education which have yet to be implemented.

Ms Hanafin's acknowledgement that the maths curriculum needs to be reformed is welcome, but her intentions and those of the Government will be judged by the actions they take.

The minister is awaiting a report from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) on the issue.

The group which is expected to recommend more use of technology and greater use of project work for senior cycle maths.

Educators and business leaders will be hopeful that whatever the NCCA suggests, it will be funded and done so soon enough to prevent a further deepening of what employers' organisation IBEC described this week as a crisis of poor maths grades.