Junior Cert maths results ‘encouraging’ for future

THE increased number of Junior Certificate students taking higher level maths and the improvement in results at ordinary and foundation level in the subject has been welcomed as an “encouraging” sign by Eoin Gill, joint manager of CALMAST, the Centre for the Advancement of Learning of Maths, Science and Technology.

However, Mr Gill said the Junior Certificate results received by almost 58,000 students again underline the gulf between the number of students achieving a C grade or better in higher level maths and the number who attempt higher level maths at Leaving Certificate.

“We seem to be losing potentially excellent students during the transition from Junior to Leaving Certificate. We can ill-afford to have this fall-off continue and every student who gets a C grade or better at higher level in Junior Certificate maths must be considered a potential higher level student in Leaving Certificate maths.”

Eoin Gill acknowledged that this year’s results in Junior Certificate maths made for happier reading than those at Leaving Certificate level.

“It has been a cause of legitimate concern for some time now to see the fall-off that there has been in second-level students taking higher level papers in maths and the related drop in those achieving good results at all levels.

“With 18% of those taking higher level maths at Junior Cert getting an A grade and only 6% of those taking the ordinary-level paper failing to get a D grade or higher, we must hope that the Junior Certificate results released today represent the first signs of recovery Mr Gill also noted that the number of students getting honours grades in science is up 9% (from 71% in 2005 to 80% this year).

Based at Waterford Institute of Technology, CALMAST hosts events during each school year designed to spark interest in science, engineering and technology among primary and second-level students.

To increase awareness and participation among young people, the centre is coordinating Maths Week Ireland 2006 which will run from October 16-21 at 13 colleges throughout the island of Ireland.