Video: Doubling of higher-level Leaving Cert maths failure rates ‘not a cause for concern’, says minister

The number of students who failed honours maths has more than trebled in three years to 764 of the 58,000 students who got results yesterday. And the proportion of those doing the subject who sat the higher level exams but failed has more than doubled to 5.2% since 2012, when colleges started giving anyone passing the tougher papers an extra 25 CAO college entry points.
The minister highlighted the rise in the same time in numbers sitting higher level maths, increasing each year since 2011 from 16% to over 27% this year. She said the 5.2% who did not pass higher level maths is around average for maths and science subjects generally.
“In fact there are higher numbers in physics and chemistry for example, so it’s pretty much within the norms”, she said after meeting students collecting results at Castle- troy College in Limerick yesterday morning.

While the jump in numbers taking honours maths may be responsible for corresponding increases in fail rates, Ms O’Sullivan said the evidence suggests students are taking the paper and doing relatively well.
“We wanted students who had the ability to take the paper at that level to actually go for it so that’s positive, but we will keep it under review because it’s relatively recently that the changes were made and it’s important that we make sure that it is working properly,” she said.
The minister again praised the hard work of students and their teachers, as almost 58,000 Leaving Certificate candidates received their results.
Other notable trends included improved grades at ordinary level maths, a further increase to 40% in the number of students taking higher level Irish, and increases in uptake of science subjects and languages.

Asked if failure rates in higher level maths raise questions about the need to focus on the quality of teaching rather than higher level uptake, Ms O’Sullivan said a number of measures have been taken on offering courses to maths teachers who want to upskill.
However, National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) director Clive Byrne said students are chasing the bonus points for higher level maths, knowing that as others are doing so, the CAO points for the particular course they applied for may go up.
“It’s people chasing points and willing to take risks, but you would hope they take advice about what level at which to take maths. I’m pleased more people are doing it [at higher level] but it is par for the course that greater numbers will not succeed, because some are trying to get the extra points and that is the tail wagging the dog,” he said.
Mr Byrne questioned the value of students stretching themselves for maths bonus points for courses that do not require maths proficiency, suggesting bonuses should only be awarded where a subject has a relevance to the course a student applies for. Such a system is being considered by third-level colleges in possible introduction of bonus CAO points for other subjects.

The NAPD director said such measures should be introduced, but as part of a package of reforms that would include colleges reducing numbers of CAO codes so students are not vying for limited places that push up points for individual. In addition, he said, the proposed reduction in numbers of Leaving Certificate grade bandings should be advanced, meaning students are not competing for every small few marks in their exams to jump to the next CAO points score.

Those changed bands are due to take effect in the 2017 Leaving Certificate, which will be taken by students entering fifth year in the coming weeks.
The universities are expected to announce agreement on a co-ordinated reduction in entry courses in the autumn, both measures being among several to overhaul the transition from school to college under discussion for the last four years.
