Science subjects get Leaving Cert lift from astronaut Chris Hadfield

Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s ability to make his adventures in space accessible to a wider audience has been credited by a minister for a large increase in the number of Leaving Certificate students choosing physics and other science subjects.

State Examinations Commission figures show that numbers planning to take physics are up 11% from 6,656 a year ago to 7,415, with students planning to take higher level papers making up most of the increase.

Chemistry students are also on the rise, although the 5% jump to 8,867 since March 2013 is just a little higher than the proportional increase in total Leaving Certificate entries. Biology remains one of the most popular subjects, and the 4% increase in students entered for it to almost 33,700 mirrors the rise in overall student numbers.