Higher level maths to be minimum requirement

Higher level Leaving Certificate maths is to become a minimum requirement for people wishing to enter teacher training.

Education Minister Ruairí Quinn made the announcement before referring to his “highly feminised audience and profession”. The comment drew an rumble of discontent among delegates, which forced him to halt his speech for 30 seconds.

“I also want to see higher level mathematics in the Leaving Certificate becoming part of the minimum entry requirements for Initial Teacher Education and I’ll tell you why — to a highly feminised audience and profession — our research shows that young women who do the Junior Certificate and take higher level mathematics comfortably in the Junior Certificate exam, drop higher level mathematics when they do their Leaving Certificate because it is not a requirement. This is evidence-based research, and that’s why we want to see it happen.”