Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

There is no reason that schools cannot offer science subjects. The fact that 86% of students are studying science at junior certificate level should encourage many more to study it to leaving certificate level. There is a teacher in every second level school for every 13 students and it is up to the local schools to decide, based on the demands of their students and the ability of their teachers, what subjects they will offer. At present, we are anxious to increase the number of students who are studying science subjects at leaving certificate level. A total of 14.4% are taking physics this year while 13.9% are taking chemistry. We aim to increase that to 20% through the science strategy. However, the take-up of biology at leaving certificate level is still quite high at 48.8%. The difficulty, however, is that even those who do well are not continuing the subjects at third level. That is where guidance is most important. I hope the fact that the Government is investing so heavily in the knowledge economy and in the future of industry in that sector will encourage students to do so.

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