Madam, – Once again, girls outperform boys in the Leaving Cert points race, thus giving them first choice of the most desired places in our third-level institutions.
Despite this educational disadvantage, men continue, in general, to outperform women, in later life, in business and the professions.
Does this suggest that we are failing to optimise our very substantial investment in third-level education, by over-investing in, ultimately, under-achieving females? Re-balancing the allocation of third level places, by whatever means, would probably deliver significant long-term economic benefits to the country. Indeed, creating a bias in favour of males students would be the logical, if politically unacceptable, solution. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The current methodology in measuring one’s intelligence or academic levels is mainly memory-based and for most, this is relatively effective, but for those with a much more practical and logical mind, a mere memory test is not an accurate reflection of their abilities.
Mathematics is such a subject which cannot be memorised and a logical rationale must be applied as opposed to memorising information. Mathematics provides for independent and logical thinking from a person and improves our ability with a view to problem solving. A happy combination of both practical and memory-based assessments should be applied to provide an accurate measure of a person’s ability. While history somewhat shapes our future, mathematical logic will exponentially increase the rate at which we progress. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Two of your correspondents, one located in Australia and the other in Belgium, are urging us to not blame the study of the Irish language on the poor results in mathematics and the sciences. However, in the future, maybe fewer people would have to join your correspondents in Australia and Belgium after their Leaving Certs if we spent more time improving the teaching of mathematics and the sciences instead of wasting time on the teaching of Irish. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It says a lot about those entrusted to run our education system that they so readily identify very specific – yet clearly unproven – factors as cause and remedy for the demise of maths in our schools.
Anyone with experience at the ground level knows that one does not need to possess a maths degree to teach ordinary level mathematics. It is alarming to hear a representative from the ASTI dismiss engineering and science graduates as inadequate in this regard. The ability to inspire, motivate and clarify are far more relevant skills than academic excellence when dealing with a weak young student. Any student with an engineering or science degree is clearly going to be competent at ordinary level maths – the big question which the ASTI has frequently ignored regarding its members – technically qualified or not – is this: can they teach?
Furthermore, while project maths for the Leaving Cert is a very promising concept, surely it is too little, too late? Years earlier – at the age of 13 or 14 – most students make a decision to opt for ordinary instead of honours levels maths; there is little hope of such students suddenly discovering a love of maths as they enter the frequently wasted fourth year in school. It would be better to nip the problem in the bud and acknowledge the elephant in the room: primary school. Any teacher of first-year maths in secondary school can tell you much damage has already been done by the age of 12 or 13. That is why so many students never entertain the thought of taking honours maths.
But whether the reasons are Facebook, calculators, TV, earlier social life or poor maths teaching at primary level, it’s time for some proper research to be done on the matter before offering lame soundbytes on Leaving Cert results day. – Yours, etc,