THE NUMBER of graduates with science and IT qualifications could increase substantially if the Government speeds up implementation of Project Maths, according to the ASTI's new president.
Project Maths is the Government's programme to develop a new maths syllabus at second level, with the aim of increasing uptake and standards in the subject.
The scheme is being carried out on a pilot basis in a number of schools. But ASTI president Pat Hurley has told The Irish Timesthat this staggered approach is inefficient.
He said piloting the programme was a good idea, but questioned the speed of the roll-out. "It is scheduled to finish in 2015, when all schools will have sat a Leaving Cert under the new syllabus. It's taking a huge amount of time," he said. "I feel it can be done much quicker. Syllabuses have been changed and two years later they were examined."
Mr Hurley said that if the programme was successful it could encourage more students to study science and technology subjects at third level. This would in turn increase the number of graduates with these skills entering the workforce.
But while he was hopeful that Project Maths would have long-term benefits, he was concerned about its short-term impact on the Leaving Cert.
Students participating in the project will sit a different maths paper to other Leaving Cert students. "In two years' time there will be students from these schools [those in the pilot scheme] sitting a paper with one different question from those in the other schools," he said. "My problem is, if the new maths syllabus is supposed to increase uptake and increase grades, is there going to emerge a two-tier system in maths?"
Mr Hurley would prefer to see Project Maths implemented in stages across all schools so that all students continued to sit the same Leaving Cert paper.
The ASTI president is a physics and biology teacher who previously worked in an IT role with a US health insurance firm.
Based on his experience in these fields, Mr Hurley said students needed to be taught how to learn. "When you go into any industry you still have a lot to learn when you get inside. Learning how to learn becomes an important skill."
Mr Hurley said he would welcome support from industry at second level to encourage interest in science and maths, for example by funding posts such as lab technicians to support teaching staff. However, he said such investment must not influence the curriculum.
"Industry can't come in and try to change the syllabus. It's not going to be a short-term fix for any industry to put money into schools - you're talking about a four- or five-year cycle."
