Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 352: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of second-level mathematics teachers that have received training for the "project maths" initiative to date in 2010; the number of total days training each individual receives in order to deliver the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33822/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Strands 1 and 2 (1 — Statistics and Probability and 2 — Geometry & Trigonometry) of the Project Maths syllabus are being implemented in 1st and 5th year in post-primary schools from this September. In advance of the implementation of these Strands, two full day workshops were offered to all post-primary teachers of mathematics in the school year 2009/2010. Over 4,700 teachers received in-service for Strand 1 with extra workshops having being run for teachers who were unable to attend the original round of Strand 1 workshops. For Strand 2, over 4,400 teachers have received in-service. In the 2010/11 school year a further 2 days in-service will be offered. Invitations have issued for teachers to attend Workshop 3 on Strand 3 — Number & Problem Solving, which is commencing this week. Further Workshops will be rolled out as further Strands of the syllabus are implemented, and it is envisaged that the programme of support will continue until at least 2013.

Other facets of the professional development programme will also continue to be developed. These include evening courses in ICT for the teaching of mathematics and in relation to areas of syllabus content.

The Project Maths Development Team continues to develop its services and provides a wide range of resources which aim to support teachers and students in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The team, in conjunction with Department officials and industry representatives, will shortly be examining ways to progress some of the recommendations made in the Report of the Project Maths Implementation Support Group (published in June 2009).