Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 163: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the continuing high failure rate of maths and science in the leaving certificate, particularly in view of the importance of these subjects in regard to many career options; the steps she will take to address this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21604/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In the State examinations all candidates who attempt an examination in a particular subject are awarded a grade ranging from an A (85% and above) to an NG (less than 10%). In the Leaving Certificate, the A grade is sub-divided into an A1 and A2. Irrespective of the grade obtained, all candidates receive a certificate that records all their grades and no candidate is deemed to have failed any examination.

I am broadly satisfied that the Leaving Certificate results obtained in most subjects this year followed a generally similar pattern to those of previous years. The results patterns and variations will be the subject of further comment in the State Examinations Commission (SEC) 2006 Annual Report.

Leaving Certificate Maths at all three levels – Foundation, Ordinary and Higher – has seen improvements this year in the proportion of students scoring at Grade A. The EFNG rate at all three levels is marginally higher than in 2006, but still below the levels of 2005.

In Leaving Certificate Physics, at Higher level, a greater proportion of students scored at Grade A this year. There was a small increase in the percentage scoring at Grades E, F and NG compared with 2006, but the rate was still below the 2005 rate. At Ordinary level the A rate was down marginally but the overall ABC rate was up; while the EFNG rate was up slightly, it too was below the 2005 value.

In Chemistry at Higher level there was a decrease in the proportion scoring at Grade A, but the overall ABC rate was higher than last year; the EFNG rate was lower than in either of the two previous years. At Ordinary level the A rate in Chemistry was higher than last year. The proportion scoring Grades E, F and NG at this level was higher than last year – 16.8% compared with 15.5%. However, it should be noted that, since the cohort is small, these percentages represent quite small numbers of students – just over two hundred in each case.

In Leaving Certificate Biology, at Higher level, a greater proportion of students scored at Grade A this year, while there was an increase in the percentage scoring at Grades E, F and NG compared with 2006. At Ordinary level the A rate was somewhat lower while the EFNG rate was up, although it was still below the 2005 value.

Overall, these variations are modest and are broadly consistent with the patterns in previous years. While the EFNG rates in Maths and the sciences at Higher level are higher than the corresponding rates in many other subjects it may be noted that the A rates in these subjects also tend to be significantly higher than in most other subjects.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has undertaken a review of mathematics provision across second level. A discussion paper was circulated to schools in October 2005 and this was followed by a three-month consultation period. A report of the consultation was published in April 2006. Following on this process the NCCA submitted proposals for a phased revision of the Junior and Leaving Certificate syllabuses in June of this year. I am currently considering the most appropriate approaches to progressing these proposals.

With regard to the sciences, revised syllabuses have been introduced in Leaving Certificate Biology, Physics and Chemistry. All of these were examined for the first time in the last five years. A revised syllabus has also been introduced in Junior Certificate Science; the first examination in the revised syllabus was in 2006. This provides for a more investigative approach to science education with some 30 experiments and investigations which have to be carried out over the period of the programme. This hands-on approach is seen as critically important to enhancing the attractiveness of the subject and to encouraging more students to choose the physical sciences at senior cycle. All of these developments are being, or have been, supported by national inservice programmes for teachers. In addition, some €13m was issued to schools in 2004 to provide resource grants to support the implementation of the revised Junior Certificate Science syllabus.

The three Leaving Certificate science subjects are now included in the first phase of the senior cycle review currently being undertaken by the NCCA. This revision of the syllabuses is intended to build on the progress achieved at junior cycle level. To this end the revised syllabuses will be presented in terms of learning outcomes and will have an increased emphasis on science process skills and on an investigative approach to teaching and learning.