A £15 MILLION package to reverse the declining numbers and improve the poor performance of second-level physics and chemistry students has been announced by the Minister for Education and Science.
Mr Martin, speaking at Carrigaline Community School in Co Cork yesterday, said he had been concerned for some time at the "significant decline in the percentage of pupils taking these subjects, particularly chemistry".
The numbers taking physics in the Leaving Certificate fell from 20.1 per cent of the total in 198687 to 16.4 per cent in 1996-97, and the numbers taking chemistry fell from 19.4 per cent to 12.3 per cent over the same period.
The Minister also expressed concern "at the large number of candidates who fail to achieve a grade D or higher in physics and chemistry at ordinary level" in the Leaving Cert: 19.8 per cent out of 2,955 taking physics and 21.5 per cent out of 1,274 taking chemistry failed to reach this "pass" mark in last year's exams. This compared to failure rates of 6.6 per cent in English and 4.4 per cent in economics.
The largest part of the £15 million package, to be spent over three years, will go towards modernising second-level schools' science laboratories, many of which are in very poor condition.
There will also be a special £10 per pupil annual grant for all those studying physics and chemistry for the Leaving Cert. Schools will receive £20 for students studying both physics and chemistry.
Teaching will begin next year on new Leaving Cert physics and chemistry syllabuses, which will be examined for the first time in 2002. An immediate review will be undertaken by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment of the Junior Cert science syllabus, and particularly those parts of it dealing with physics and chemistry.
Mr Martin promised a programme of in-service training to increase both the skills and number of teachers of these subjects at both levels. He said 480 teachers would receive extra training in the subjects this year, with a three-year target of providing training for up to 1,500 teachers - many of them Junior Cert science teachers who have specialised in biology - if such an expanded programme is deemed necessary.
A panel of regionally based trainers will carry out much of this training, and provide continuing support for schools.
Both the second-level unions, the ASTI and the TUI, welcomed the announcement. TUI president Mr Joe Carolan highlighted poor laboratory facilities and the lack of laboratory technicians as priorities for immediate action.