THE PUBLICATION of Leaving Cert results this morning represents a landmark in the lives of more than 57,000 students. Although the exam’s importance is often overstated, it marks the end of second level education and the culmination of years of personal endeavour and development. Those who sat the Leaving Cert will make key decisions about their future lives and careers on the basis of the grades achieved. These choices will be more difficult as a result of the economic backdrop though the class of 2009 will be optimistic that the clouds will have cleared by the time they finish further education and training.
This year’s results confirm some depressing trends in the general areas of maths and science. The number taking higher-level maths has declined to just 16 per cent of students; clearly the perception persists that maths is too onerous and best avoided. The same image problem appears to afflict physics and chemistry; only 4,600 students take physics at higher level and just 6,000 take higher-level chemistry.
There seems to be an increasing disconnect between the Government’s lofty ambitions for a knowledge economy and the reality in schools and colleges. The disclosure this week that up to 39 per cent of students are failing to complete first year university courses in science and technology is a symptom of the same problem. With higher-level maths required for most higher degree courses in science and technology, the universities are drawing students from an ever reducing pool. To make matters worse, CAO points for these courses have in many cases fallen dramatically as student interest wanes. Universities should not be blamed for the high drop-out rates; most do a great deal to help and support students in difficulty. The root of the problem is the lack of engagement with maths and science by a huge swathe of students at second level.
The Government is hoping a revised maths course, which is being piloted in 24 schools, will revive student interest in the subject. Project Maths, which promises a more student-friendly approach, will be examined for the first time in pilot schools in 2012. But experience in other EU states suggests the task of reviving interest in maths will be a very long haul. With this in mind, it would be good to see the new course accompanied by a bonus points system which might help to draw the best and the brightest Leaving Cert students towards the subject. There is a welter of evidence to suggest that maths is much more demanding than other Leaving Cert subjects; why not give students a real incentive to take it?
On science, the Government will be heartened by the 21 per cent increase in the number of students applying for higher-level science courses offered through the CAO. The total number is still only 7,000, compared - for example - with 17,400 opting for arts courses. But this is progress of sorts. A government with a real commitment to science would also be working to upgrade dilapidated science laboratories in schools and to provide a decent IT infrastructure at primary and secondary level.