‘Imaginative’ solutions needed to tackle maths crisis

The Junior Minister with responsibility for science and innovation says universities will have to come up with solutions to declining interest in engineering and maths-based courses.

Jimmy Devins was reacting to the by-now annual expression of concern about the lack of interest in these courses and high failure rates in Leaving Cert maths.

NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth are holding special maths exams this week for students who want to study engineering and science courses, but failed to get high enough results in the Leaving Cert.

Mr Devins admitted today that the situation poses a problem, saying universities must engage in "imaginative thinking" to reverse the decline.