MINISTER for Education Mary Coughlan has asked college heads to accept students who fail higher-level maths in the Leaving Cert exam.
In a letter to college chiefs, she reveals how thousands of students drop from higher to ordinary-level maths every year in the run-up to the exam.
At present, colleges will not accept students who fail maths at either level for most courses. The Minister says the fear of failing higher-level is forcing many students to drop to ordinary level.
In her letter, Ms Coughlan asks college chiefs to accept students with a grade E in higher level for entry purposes. She also wants them to back her plan to award bonus CAO points for those taking higher-level maths.
She writes: “In terms of the risk of failing to meet matriculation (entry) requirements, perhaps the institutions would consider whether they are prepared to accept grade E at higher level as meeting matriculation requirements and being equivalent to at least a D3 at ordinary level (perhaps only for courses without a high maths content).’’
The Minister reveals the drop down rate from higher to ordinary level for maths, at some 20 per cent, between spring and June of the examination year is the highest of any Leaving Cert subject.
She also appears to concede higher-level maths is tougher than other subjects. Bonus points, she says, are needed to compensate for the “perceived additional workload associated with higher-level maths over other subjects, and reduce the level of risk associated with failing to meet matriculation requirements”.
The Minister has publicly backed bonus points for maths but the final decision rests with the academic council in each college.
Some college heads have been sceptical about the plan but she asks them to reconsider the position in the light of the “urgent imperative’’ to increase the proportions of students choosing higher level.
In her letter, she says only 16 per cent of students took higher-level maths last year. In contrast, 64 per cent of students took higher-level English and 72 per cent took higher-level biology.
The Minister is also direct about Ireland’s performance in maths where our students are ranked in mid-table in the OECD rankings.
“In a globalised competitive economy it is important that Ireland moves beyond being ‘average’ at mathematics towards the promotion of advanced levels of skills, creativity and innovation. We urgently need to improve attainment levels in maths generally and to encourage more students to take higher-level maths.”
Ms Coughlan says she would like to send a clear message to second-level students that there will be bonus points for higher-level maths from 2012. This would give a clear lead-in time so students embarking on the first year of their Leaving Cert next September can make informed decisions on subject choice and level.
The Government hopes to roll out the new, user-friendly maths curriculum in schools from 2012.