AMID CONTINUING controversy about unqualified maths teachers, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has asked all second-level schools to detail the qualifications of all staff members who are teaching the subject.
This morning, the Teaching Council – which regulates the profession – is issuing a letter to all 700 second-level schools seeking the information. The move comes after a partial survey of 258 schools – completed only last week – revealed how 30 per cent of maths teachers were not fully qualified in the subject. While many had taken maths at third level, it was not the main focus of their degree. Last night, the Department of Education insisted the information provided by the 258 schools which did complete the questionnaire “has provided a very good snapshot of the qualifications of maths teachers in those schools”. It said the Minister wants to “complete the picture” and schools are being asked to complete the questionnaire by September 26th next.
Meanwhile, Engineers Ireland has claimed the “crisis in maths” at second level reflects a “total systemic failure in national education structures”. The group – which will shortly offer free maths grinds to exam students – says the numbers taking higher-level maths remain too low while too many students are continuing to fail maths in both the Junior and Leaving Cert exams. The latest Junior Cert results, published yesterday, show some encouraging trends with stronger take-up of the new project maths course at higher level and a higher honours or ABC rate among students.
Mr Quinn is hoping the new course and a newly announced training programme for unqualified teachers will boost standards.
Ireland’s ranking in maths slumped to 27th in the most recent OECD rankings.
The subject also attracts relatively small numbers at Leaving Cert higher level – only about 8,000 students or 16 per cent took higher level in June.
While welcoming the positive trends in the Junior Cert results, the new president of Engineers Ireland, PJ Rudden, cautioned that it “will take perhaps a decade or more to embed the new learning processes associated with the department’s reform agenda so industry must do as much as it can to support students in their attempts to grasp maths”.
Engineers Ireland – one of the most vocal critics of the maths crisis – will shortly offer free grinds on Saturday mornings for both Junior and Leaving Cert students. The courses have already attracted huge interest.
Mr Rudden said it would be a significant period before the department’s reform agenda would improve results enough to meet Ireland’s skill needs.
“The intention to provide unqualified maths teachers with the opportunity to upskill their knowledge of mathematics is very welcome, as is the ongoing roll-out of project maths across the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate cycle,” he said.
Project Maths, described as a more “user-friendly” course, was examined on a pilot basis in 24 schools in the Junior Cert.
Eventually, it will be rolled out in all schools by 2015.