Maths initiative moves grades in right direction

A MAJOR initiative to improve maths results appears to be moving grades in the right direction.

Although a record low proportion of Leaving Certificate maths candidates chose higher level papers in June, there is encouraging news in the results of students who sat the first exam in a new syllabus for the subject.

Of 52,290 students who sat maths papers, 72.5% took the ordinary level exams. But just 16% — 8,390 — took the higher level exam, down from 16.2% a year ago and 17% in 2008.