Teachers hit out at difficulty of Leaving Cert maths exam

Teachers are criticising the State Examinations Commission over the difficulty of the higher-level maths paper handed out to Leaving Cert students yesterday.

The Association of Secondary Teachers says it will be making representations on the matter to the chief examiner, who is responsible for overseeing the maths exam.

The controversy comes at a time when the Government and business leaders are trying to attract more students towards college courses in science, technology and engineering, in which maths is a vital subject.

Asked about the matter in Dublin today, Minister for Enterprise Micheál Martin said students should not panic about the exam as the marking scheme would balance the difficulty of the test.