7445_74-78_EDUCATION news.qxd 22/9/08 16:28 Page 1
■ EDUCATION: NEWS
Maths results don’t add
up for ICT sector
By Sorcha Corcoran and John Kennedy
IRELAND’S ICT sector risks being
seriously undermined by continuing
maths failure rates at second level
and the industry has called on the
Government to come up with a more
creative way to boost the quality of
maths teaching in the nation’s
schools.
As students received their Leaving
Cert results last month, it emerged
that one tenth had failed maths. Out
of 8,510 candidates who sat the hon-
ours paper in the core subject, 4.5pc
failed, compared to 3.8pc last year,
while the numbers failing the ordi-
nary level paper rose to 12.3pc, up
from 11.5pc last year. Of the 5,803
pupils who opted to sit the foundation
level, 5.7pc failed.
“No one will say it out loud, but the
lack of uptake in honours maths in
Ireland is due to teacher perform-
ance,” said Shane Dempsey, director
of the Irish Software Association,
which represents the country’s indige-
nous technology sector.
“The teaching of maths is the single Shane Dempsey, ISA
most important factor in a child’s
education and the fact of the matter is rely on students coming out of engi- teachers teaching honours maths are
the education system cannot surpass neering and computer courses. We actually qualified to do so. “Some of
beyond the quality of its teachers.” are asleep when it comes to maths these people only have to do a module
According to Dempsey, talk of the and we are just hitting the snooze but- as part of one year at teacher training
maths failure rate being an interna- ton when maths points are brought college to be qualified to teach hon-
tional problem is a cop-out. “We have up. We’re just not getting out of bed ours maths. We have to acknowledge
the potential to improve the interest on the issue and this could be disas- the fact that honours maths requires
in maths, science and engineering, but trous for the economy.” special treatment,” said Dempsey.
we’re not creative enough to take the Returning to the issue of teacher Indicating the economic importance
right steps.” He pointed out that performance, Dempsey said: “Maths of fielding sufficient technical gradu-
important factors such as bonus is the language of the knowledge econ- ates, Dempsey said it is as much an
points for honours maths students omy. We have to address teacher per- issue for multinationals in Ireland as
pursuing fields like engineering were formance. A whole series of steps are it is for local home-grown companies.
abolished in recent years and this is needed, but it requires bravery at the “All technology companies are find-
starting to tell. Department of Education and ing it hard to get Irish talent. SMEs
“This is a real economic issue for Science.” are finding it hard and they are com-
Ireland in terms of companies that Currently only two out of every 10 peting against organisations such as
74 Knowledge Ireland September 2008
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