Your education questions answered by Brian Mooney

My daughter's maths teacher has advised her to take maths at foundation level for her Leaving Cert. My daughter, now in her sixth year, is relatively bright and hopes to achieve a good Leaving Cert, but does have a difficulty with maths. What are the implications, for college entry purposes, of presenting foundation level maths, for both university and institute of technology sectors?

This is a complex issue. Firstly, one must differentiate between presenting foundation level maths as meeting the entry requirements of a college and using it to gain entry to a specific course.

Within the colleges of the National University of Ireland (NUI), mathematics (ordinary alternative; foundation level) is accepted for matriculation registration purposes, but not as a substitute for the subject mathematics in faculties or courses for which the subject mathematics is currently an entry requirement. Mathematics is not an entry requirement for most courses in arts, human sciences, law, or social sciences. Foundation mathematics is not accepted for courses in commerce, food science and technology, medicine, engineering, veterinary medicine and agriculture. Matriculation regulations are available on the NUI website (www.nui.ie).

Within the institutes of technology, the situation is currently very complex. The bedrock of their courses is in business and engineering, with almost 60 per cent of their CAO first preferences in 2006 in these two areas. Because of the strong maths component of courses in these fields, there has been an almost universal requirement, within the Institute of Tech- nology (IoT) sector, for students to present a minimum of an ordinary level D3 in maths, even in courses which did not have a maths component.

In the last academic year, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology moved to allow students to enter courses, which previously required an ordinary level D3, to present an A or B grade at foundation level. Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin called on all the IoTs to follow suit, pointing out that the foundation level papers were a rigorous examination of mathematical competency.

It is my understanding that the IoTs in Tallaght, Letterkenny and Sligo have indicated that students applying for entry in September 2007 will be similarly able to offer a foundation level A or B, as an alternative to an ordinary level D3, in many, if not most of their business courses, but not for their engineering courses. Where colleges have opted to accept foundation level maths as meeting their entry requirement, they have indicated that they will award 20 CAO points for an A, 10 for a B1 and five for a B2.

Collectively, the IoTs have indicated that they will accept the A or B in foundation level maths as meeting the college entry requirement. This will allow students applying for the small number of courses in institutes of technology (which do not specify ordinary level maths as an entry requirement) to possibly secure a place, subject to their overall Leaving Cert result.

There's a problem with this move on the part of the IoTs not listed above: by allowing students to access the college with an A or B foundation level maths result, but still leaving the Ordinary D3 entry requirement in place for the majority of their courses, it does not in fact change anything for the student presenting with foundation level maths. They will be able to get into the college, but not access any courses offered by the college.

The only long-term solution is for all colleges, universities and institutes of technology to accept an A or B in foundation level maths as meeting an ordinary level D3 requirement in maths wherever it currently exists. This would have the immediate effect of securing a status for the foundation level curriculum, which it has not to date been able to secure. It would also enable the many thousands of students (5,000 in the last school year) who are currently failing ordinary level maths to take the foundation level course, secure in the knowledge that an A or B grade would allow them access to courses that currently require an ordinary level D3.

I call on all colleges to make this change in their entry requirements, immediately.

Brian Mooney is the former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors.

E-mail questions to bmooney@irish- times.ie