The Government will increase efforts to address the crisis in maths and science, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin signalled yesterday.
The Minister said she hoped the forthcoming revised curriculum on maths would improve the uptake of higher level maths at Leaving Cert and help ensure "all young people leave school with good mathematical skills". An advisory body is currently drawing up the new curriculum.
She was speaking at a Fianna Fáil conference, marking 40 years of free education.
This year, more than 4,000 students failed maths at ordinary level in the Leaving Cert, while only about one in five students now take higher level maths.
The Minister said progress was being made in science with new courses in place or about to be introduced.
The Government, she said, was deeply committed to the creation of a new fourth level of advanced research education that will play a vital role in driving our future economic development.
"Ireland's future success will depend on the strength of our research and development base and its ability to produce new and better products and technologies. It will also depend on the continued availability of highly educated, creative people to fill jobs in the ICT, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and to attract further foreign investment in these areas."
She said the total research budget of the Department of Education in 1997 was zero. "Since the launch of the Programme for Research in Third-level Institutions awards totalling €605 million have been made. And a further €640 million is being invested through Science Foundation Ireland."
She said the recently launched research strategy for the period through to 2013 will see a dramatic increase in Government investment in research and development over the coming years.
"It will involve a doubling of the number of PhD students and the achievement of ambitious targets for expanding researcher numbers, advancing industry collaboration and developing Ireland's reputation as a leading international research location."
In his address, UCD president Dr Hugh Brady identified some key components of the new fourth level.
These included:
• A pool of top quality Irish and international students supervised by high calibre research staff;
• State-of-the-art physical infrastructure and technology platforms;
• Masters and PhD training focused in dedicated graduate schools;
• All students initially register for masters degree with decision as to whether to progress to PhD after one year;
• Structured taught courses during first year with later years characterised by cutting edge research experience;
• Trans-institutional and trans-national collaboration where appropriate, feasible and where it adds value.
Dr Brady said a "complete restructuring" of UCD had been completed and student applications had increased by 10 per cent.
