Teaching maths - Homework for teachers

IT is difficult to understand why almost half of post-primary maths teachers do not have relevant maths qualifications. It is even more difficult to understand why that situation continues.

The consequences of this are plain enough; Only 16% of leaving cert students sit the higher-level paper, the lowest figure for any honours subject. This precludes the great majority of students from even considering a whole range of third level courses. The very courses, we are told, central to any economic recovery.

A University of Limerick study also found a link between students who take higher maths at leaving cert level and the qualifications of their teachers. Obviously, the better the qualifications the more students who take higher level maths.