Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the witnesses for their statements. I like the model being described with regard to Errigal College in Donegal and the feeder national schools. There is something in this that needs to be put in the mainstream. I very much think it is the way forward, particularly for physics. At that stage in the formation of young people's minds we can get them interested in problem-solving, what can be done and the possibilities. It is about getting children excited and passionate about these subjects. I would like to see more of this.

How many students studying higher level mathematics are having grinds? I am very concerned about the commodifying of education. It is probably linked to the issues we have with recruiting teachers and having teachers who are fully qualified. Many students find they must have grinds and private tuition on top of what is supposed to be a free education system. Inequity develops as a result of this. If people have the money to have grinds they compete with others who do not. If we do not have a standard of education in schools it will lead to all kinds of inequity. This needs to be pulled back. Are the witnesses aware of how prevalent is the practice of having teachers of STEM subjects, particularly maths, who are not qualified or partially qualified? I ask them to speak on quantifying this and the data available to us on it.

With regard to recruitment, the pathway into post-primary teaching requires a level 8 degree to meet the Teaching Council requirements. Teachers must have one post-primary curriculum subject. In most cases this degree is qualified by a two-year professional masters of education. Very few financial supports are available. Even if people qualify for Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants at masters level, that support does not usually cover the full cost of fees. Put simply, it is not an option for many. For others, the idea of starting a working career with a level 8 degree is more appealing than paying high fees for another two years. I would like to hear the opinions of the witnesses on this.

There is also geographical inequity. Where is the concentration of teachers? How many schools do not offer physics as a subject? Most schools offer higher maths. Are the teachers in the schools fully qualified in maths? How much data do we have available to us to be able to address these issues?