David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter. The specific issue I wish to raise is that of higher level mathematics in the leaving certificate. Mathematics is a very important subject for the leaving certificate. In fact, it is one of the most important subjects in our economy. I met people recently who work in an industry where mathematics is very important and they are concerned with the standards of mathematics and science in Ireland.

I put down a parliamentary question recently because I wanted to find out how many students study higher level mathematics for the leaving certificate and how many end up sitting the exam. I discovered that 10,516 students studied it in 2010, but only 8,390 actually sat the exam, so more than 2,000 students opted not to sit it. I wanted to explore why this might be the case, and I discovered that if a student fails mathematics in the leaving certificate, then many courses are closed to that student at third level. I spoke to some students and they told me this is one of the main reasons they decided not to take the examination. If they failed higher level mathematics, then they could not go to college.

There are some exceptions to this. Waterford Institute of Technology has a safety net and allows students who fail honours mathematics to do another mathematics exam to qualify. Perhaps we should look at this. Higher level mathematics can take up 25% of a pupil's study time, so if an 18 or 19 old studying higher level mathematics decides not to do the exam and drops down to the lower level, then he or she will probably get an A grade. However, this means that the drive to take on higher level mathematics is being diluted.

Perhaps we should look at a second chance, as is currently happening in WIT, so that any student who fails the exam could have the opportunity of doing it again. These students would be well capable of meeting the minimum requirements - a C3 at lower level - to get into most courses. If they fail the higher level exam they get nothing and must repeat the whole year. That is very unfair and many students are not prepared to take that risk. Can we blame them?

The Minister will talk about the bonus points for higher level mathematics and I know that there are other issues that Professor Kathleen Lynch has raised in respect of inequality, but that is another matter. Bonus points will not make a difference if the student fails. They might act as an incentive to do well, but if the student fails then he or she is precluded from many courses. If a safety net existed, most students would take the risk of doing the exam, knowing that if they failed it, they could repeat it in the autumn somewhere to get the minimum requirement that would entitle them to take the third level course. It is a small thing, but I know from talking to students and teachers that it is a big issue for many of them. It is often the reason students decide not to take the higher level course in the first place.

I am interested in what the Minister has to say. He may not have picked up in his script all the points that I made.

Maths is a very important subject and we need to encourage students to opt for it in every way we can. Bonus points alone are not enough. We need to do more. I ask the Department to consider my views in this regard.

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