Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 519: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to address the diminishing number of students taking science as an examination subject; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8976/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am very much aware of the important role played by the sciences in a modern educational system. As the Deputy's question suggests, there has been a concern regarding participation rates in the sciences in recent years. This concern is not unique to Ireland but is one commonly found in developed economies throughout the world.

While science is optional in the junior cycle, approximately 89% of students study the subject. This figure has not changed significantly in the past decade and a half. Science is also optional in the senior cycle where there are five separate science subjects available — biology, chemistry, physics, agricultural science, and physics and chemistry combined. The introduction of revised syllabi in physics and in chemistry in 2000 saw a renewed interest in these subjects, with chemistry showing a sustained increase in participation rates since then.

Participation rates in biology have also increased since the introduction of a revised syllabus in 2002 and almost half of the student cohort were studying this subject in the senior cycle in the 2004-05 school year. It is worth noting that participation rates in agricultural science, though still quite low, have increased steadily over the past 20 years.

Significant progress is being made in regard to curricular reform and in-service support for science at both primary and post-primary levels. Science was introduced as a key component in the revised primary school curriculum in 1999 and a revised syllabus has been implemented in all schools since September 2003. A revised syllabus for the junior certificate was introduced in September 2003 for first examination in June 2006. I believe that this syllabus, with its hands-on investigative approach and its new emphasis on scientific process skills, will be instrumental in encouraging more pupils to continue their study of science in senior cycle. A particularly interesting innovation in the revised syllabus is the introduction of the assessment of pupils' practical work. This assessment will account for 35% of the marks in the junior certificate examination and will be based on the completion of 30 mandatory experiments carried out during the three-year course and on projects undertaken by the students in the final year.

The introduction of curricular change in the sciences has been supported by comprehensive in-career development programmes for teachers. Significant funding has also been allocated to provide additional grants for equipment and resources. My Department is fully committed to strengthening the quality of science teaching and learning, promoting increased scientific literacy and encouraging more students to choose science subjects. Progress in these areas is a vitally important part of our national strategy to support competitiveness and employment. My Department's work in supporting and promoting science will continue to be progressed and enhanced, as resources permit, in collaboration and consultation with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and industry.