Only a small percentage of the 5,000-plus maths teachers in second-level schools were inspected in the last four years, according to Department of Education estimates.
The employers' group Ibec has expressed alarm at the figures released to The Irish Times, which show that less than 5 per cent of maths teachers were inspected.
Ibec, which has raised concerns about the high failure rate in maths in State exams, says the figures are deeply worrying.
Figures for other main subjects also show a low inspection rate. Officially, the department claims that about 16 per cent of all teachers were subject to inspection in the four-year period to December 2004. But its own estimates suggest a much lower inspection rate in most subjects.
In English, the department says over 10 per cent (450) of the 4,000-plus teachers in the subject were inspected in this period.
Mr Brendan Butler, director of enterprise at Ibec, pointed out that maths was a critically important subject, not just for employers but also for pupils and educators. A "massive increase" in the number of inspections was required to boost standards.
In recent years about 5,000 students have failed maths at Leaving Cert, making them ineligible for many third-level courses.
Concern has also been expressed about the performance of the Republic in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development tables on maths standards.
The department said yesterday that 700-plus schools (practically every second-level school in the State) had had at least one subject inspection in the period from January 2001 to December 2004. About 250 had had two subject inspections, and a small number had had more than two.
The department said: "It is estimated that an average of 3.5 teachers were observed during each subject inspection and that therefore just over 4,000 teachers, or approximately 16 per cent of the total of 25,692 post-primary teachers, were involved in the subject inspection process during 2001-04."
According to the chief inspector's report some 27 subject inspections were conducted in maths.
Although the figures for the number of inspections may seem low, the inspectorate has been much more active in recent years since responsibility for exams was devolved to the new State Examinations Commission.
The inspectorate has also recruited a large number of additional staff as it seeks to increase the number of school inspections.
