A pilot maths curriculum will be introduced in secondary schools from next September, the Minister for Education Mary Hanafin announced today.
Addressing the annual ASTI conference of post primary teachers in Killarney, Co Kerry, Ms Hanafin said the aim of the new maths curriculum was to "engage every student and ensure that they can develop key skills which will be relevant to their future needs".
The reforms are to be implemented over a three-year period, with two strands of maths changing each year until the five major strands have been completed.
"Lesson plans and exemplars will be developed for each strand, teachers will be provided with intensive curriculum support and training in advance of mainstream implementation and the exams for each strand will also be changed on a phased basis rather than a big change in one year," Ms Hanafin told delegates.
"This is a new way of introducing syllabus change which involves students and teachers from the beginning, so that subsequent phase development will be more refined and adjusted to classroom experience of teaching and learning mathematics in a new way.
"We are also working to reform the senior cycle Science programmes to build on the changes that have already been made at Junior Cert level. I expect to receive proposals from the NCCA later in the year," she said.