Science syllabus right formula for good grades

THE marked improvement in science grades following the introduction of a new Junior Certificate syllabus was welcomed yesterday.

As 57,944 students collected their results in schools and education centres around the country, one of the most notable statistics was the rise in honours on the revised course.

More than 80% of the 30,520 people who sat the higher level paper received an honours grade up from just 71% of the equivalent group last year.

With industry leaders and the Government aiming to get more young people interested in college courses and careers in science, the development will be seen as very encouraging.

The revised Junior Certificate syllabus is designed to increase their interest, as it allows them carry out more experiments at school.

“Ireland needs its young people to have an excellent grasp of maths and science if we’re to continue attracting foreign direct investment from multinational hi-tech companies,” said Hannah Grene of employers’ group ICT Ireland.

“The new Junior Certificate science syllabus is a welcome step towards boosting enthusiasm for science in schools,” she said.

However, the low uptake of science subjects at Leaving Certificate level is a cause of concern for the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, with just 7,335 taking physics this year and 7,071 sitting chemistry.

The union’s president Michael Freeley said the appointment of lab assistants to support science teachers, as recommended by the Task Force on Physical Sciences in 2002, would make the delivery of hands-on science education more effective.

Fine Gael education spokesperson Olwyn Enright expressed concern that more than one-in-ten Junior Certificate students do not study science and may be disadvantaged when it comes to subject choices and in later education.

“There’s no clear requirement for post-primary students to study science, in sharp contrast with the position in other EU countries,” she said.

Teachers Union of Ireland president Tim O’Meara stressed that any students disappointed with their results will have many other chances to prove themselves and urged those thinking about dropping out of school to reconsider.