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.”