Interest in science subjects at Leaving Certificate level has dropped again this year, according to the latest figures from the Department of Education.
Despite an intensive Government campaign to promote science, only 6,667 students have decided to sit chemistry (down 284 on this period last year) with 8,768 due to take physics (down 151).
While the falls are small, the decline in interest in the two subjects over the past decade has been dramatic, despite several Government attempts to increase the uptake. As recently as 1995 more than 11,000 students were taking physics at Leaving Cert, with almost 8,500 taking chemistry.
While chemistry and biology have been declining for many years, biology had been holding its position. But this year's figures show students' interest waning, with 25,310 scheduled to sit the subject, compared with 27,700 last year.
Most of the other major subjects are stable. One of the few subjects making gains is Spanish. This year 1,607 students have opted to sit the exam, compared with 1,467 last year.
Six new languages - Dutch, Portuguese, Modern Greek, Danish, Swedish, Finnish - are being examined in the Leaving Cert this year. Only one student is doing Danish, four are doing Swedish and two are doing Finnish. The numbers taking the other languages are also low.
French continues to be the dominant third language (after English and Irish) with 34,930 due to sit it this year, followed by German, which has been chosen by 9,732 pupils.
This week is significant for many Leaving Cert students, with the final late deadline for CAO applications falling tomorrow. All applicants have to submit their form by 5.15 p.m. or they will not be entered into the CAO system.
A CAO spokesman said candidates who were even a minute late would not be accepted. "In order to be fair to those who got their forms in on time, we have to exclude those who do not adhere to the rules," he said.
The biggest change this year was that candidates could apply to the CAO on-line. About 6,000 students availed of the service. However, it ended on February 1st and late applications can be made only using the paper form.