Exam results - Courses must be appealing

As usual there seem to be mixed messages from the latest Leaving Certificate results. The decline in the number taking the higher-level paper in mathematics is a continuing worry. Of the 52,290 who sat maths, just 16% took the higher paper. That was down from 17% in 2008.

But there were positive results among the 1,818 students who sat the examination in the first revised maths programme at 24 schools. In this programme the percentage that chose the higher-level paper rose to 18.5%.

Although the failure level in ordinary maths fell below 10% for the first time in the past decade, there are still concerns that 3,714 students failed to achieve a D grade or better, thus limiting their chances of entry to a third-level course.

Education Minister Mary Coughlan has suggested that bonus points be offered for honours maths for college entry, but it will be 2013 before students will see any benefit from such a move.

In a survey conducted by Engineers Ireland, 40% of the surveyed students who sat ordinary level maths said they would have taken the higher papers if there were bonus points. But this was based on a sample of only 34 students, which was much too small to warrant much confidence.

The number of students talking physics at any level dropped for the third year in a row to around 12.4%. On the other hand, the number opting for chemistry climbed to almost 14%.

In the coming days the focus will be on those gaining college places and the gender breakdown of the results. In recent years girls have tended to outperform boys in all of the main subjects. Of course, girls mature physiologically faster than boys, and this affords them a natural academic advantage in secondary schools and this is reflected throughout the Western world.

The publication of the Leaving Certificate results at this time of the year has become an annual ritual, which reminds us that ultimately our future is in the hands of our children. The examination results mark the end of the first part of their formal education.

We have a proud tradition of having a good educational system. Of course, it could be better, as there is always room for improvement. It is important that education should not be seen as an option; it is an essential and a fundamental right. It is incumbent on society to ensure that are no compromises in relation to our children’s education.

Clive Byrne, director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, warns that we have become complacent and allowed the issue of third-level entry to dictate too much of our secondary education, instead of encouraging independent learning, self-direction and creativity.

Efforts should be made to make the various courses more appealing to pupils to encourage them to become excited at the prospect of learning.