A RENEWED focus on student performance in maths and science is expected when the Leaving Cert results are published tomorrow.
Attention will also focus on student performance in the higher level accounting paper after students in 16 south Dublin schools received an incomplete exam paper in June.
Teachers and parents in these schools, which include Blackrock College and Oatlands College, have sought reassurance from the State Exams Commission (SEC) that students will not suffer because of the commission’s blunder.
More than 4,000 students failed Leaving Cert maths last year but the Government is hoping the roll-out of the new “user friendly’’ Project Maths course – examined for the first time this year – will spark a revival in a subject viewed as critical for economic growth.
The Government hopes Project Maths, which is set to be implemented in all schools over the next three years, will boost the take-up of maths and raise standards. Only about 16 per cent of Leaving Cert students take higher level maths, by far the lowest take-up for any major subject at honours level.
In recent years about 10 per cent of students have failed ordinary level maths – one of the highest failure rates for any Leaving Cert subject.
Many of these students are ineligible for many third-level courses where a pass grade in maths is a minimum requirement. Attention will also focus on the failure rates in science subjects. In recent years close to 20 per cent of students have failed ordinary level papers in physics, chemistry or biology.
In June, Minister for Education Mary Coughlan sought a report on the mistakes in the accounting paper and her spokesman said she was “less than impressed” with the incident.
Last night, the SEC said it had “carefully considered the correspondence received from the schools, candidates and their parents. In addition, the SEC sought special reports on the incident from the examination superintendents in the affected centres”. The chief examiner for Leaving Cert accounting has also been centrally involved in the review process.
Attention will also focus on any evidence of grade inflation in the results. Last year, the Department of Education launched an inquiry into exam grades. This revealed that the number of students gaining the highest grades (A1, A2 and B1) had almost doubled at higher level since 1992.
Overall, 43 per cent of students were awarded grades A or B at higher level in 2009, compared to only 21 per cent in 1992.
The Irish Times Exam Helpline, in partnership with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, will be open tomorrow to provide expert assistance at 1800-946-942. President of the institute Eilis Coakley said: “Receiving the Leaving Certificate results can be a very stressful event for students and parents. It can also be a very confusing time in relation to choosing college courses.”
