New curriculum - State fails to make grade in science

The latest Junior Certificate examination results released yesterday suggests that the Government’s new curriculum to encourage more students to take science subjects is meeting with mixed results.

A total of 4,500 extra pupils did science in the Junior Certificate this year, but there are already some disturbing indications.

Most of those students sat the higher-level paper, but a mere 10% scored an A, compared with one in seven under the old syllabus. The drop in standard is partly explained by the increased number.