Examiners work to draw in students

LEAVING CERT APPLIED MATHS: DRIVING IN the rain, the density of stainless steel and the timing of ship signalling were just …

LEAVING CERT APPLIED MATHS:DRIVING IN the rain, the density of stainless steel and the timing of ship signalling were just three of the problems faced by students of applied maths during yesterday's Leaving Cert higher-level exam.

Teacher Christy Maginn of the the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland said: “The pattern of recent years, to allow students to demonstrate basic concepts, and to lead them steadily through the exam, was continued and this is welcome.”

Some students expressed concern about a question on projectiles. “It didn’t look right but you couldn’t tell if it was wrong,” said one in St Declan’s College, Cabra.

More than 1,600 students took the subject at higher or ordinary level. There are three times as many male students as females .

Ms Maginn said: “The examiners are clearly working hard to attract more students to the subject. ”

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