HIGH FAILURE rates in foreign languages and maths are the main features of the Junior Cert results published this morning.
Close to 12 per cent of students failed ordinary level French, while failure rates were also high for ordinary level Spanish (8 per cent) and German (7.5 per cent).
Failure rates were much lower at higher level, although close to 6 per cent failed higher level French and close to 8 per cent failed history.
In maths, 7.5 per cent, or close to 2,000 students, failed ordinary level maths; close to 4 per cent failed the subject at higher level. These results – which come after high failure rates in the Leaving Cert in June – will again raise questions about maths standards in schools.
In science – compulsory at Junior Cert – 4 per cent failed the ordinary level, while just 1.5 per cent failed the higher level paper.
This year 24 schools also completed the Junior Cert course in Project Maths, the more “user friendly” maths course which will be rolled out in all schools by 2015. In an encouraging trend, the percentage taking higher level maths in Project Maths (52 per cent) was higher than in the main higher level course (45 per cent).
Over half a million individual grades in 26 subjects are being delivered to the 27,678 female and 29,252 male candidates who took this year’s examination. Students can also access their results through an on-line examination results service on www.examinations.ie from 4pm today.
Broadly, the 2011 results are in line with last year’s trends. While the honours or ABC rate is marginally up in maths, it is marginally down in Irish and unchanged in English.
The results also tend to contradict the view that the Junior Cert is “easier” than the Leaving Cert. In fact the honours or ABC rate in the Junior Cert is lower for many key subjects, including Irish, maths, French and history.
Students have until 5pm on Friday, September 30th, to review their results. The fee for this service is €32 per subject, which will be refunded in the event a result is upgraded.
This month an advisory body to Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, is due to table final proposals for a revamped Junior Cert exam. Its proposals – which place a much stronger emphasis on project and portfolio work – have already drawn a negative response from the ASTI, the main second-level teacher union.
Last night, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland advised all students who receive their Junior Cert results today to stay on and complete a Leaving Cert programme.
