Madam, – I very much welcome the Minister for Education’s announcement that bonus points are to be awarded for the Leaving Certificate higher course in mathematics. This measure is absolutely necessary to stem the downwards trend in the numbers taking this course which is a foundation-stone of our technology, our economy, and indeed of our “smart society”.
However, I believe that a points bonus can be only a temporary solution to the problem. It is my experience and the experience of many teachers and pupils I have spoken to, that the current course constitutes a double subject, requiring at least twice the time and effort of any other Leaving Certificate subject.
My proposal is to split the current subject into two full subjects-Higher Mathematics 1 and Higher Mathematics 2, neither of which could be taken singly. Several variations on this proposal are possible. For example, in future years Higher Mathematics 1 could contain all the material necessary for third-level engineering, science and computer science and a pass in this course could be sufficient for third-level entry, with higher grades necessary for appropriate courses.
Higher Mathematics 2 could be expanded to include, for example, more synthetic geometry and other challenging and useful material which has been eroded over the past few decades. Another variation could be the creation of a new subject called Further Mathematics to be taken only by those taking the Higher Mathematics 1 course as a prerequisite. This would be a challenging and useful preparation for those who wish to study the mathematical sciences at third-level.
Regarding the Minister’s other suggestion, I am totally opposed to people being allowed to qualify for a third-level place on the basis of an E level grade in the current Higher Level Mathematics course. This proposal would do nothing to improve the standard of mathematics in this country, and would in fact lower standards; the lower we aim, the lower we will achieve.
I am also very suspicious of any attempt to introduce “user friendly” mathematics courses. Mathematics is an essential and rewarding subject, but it is demanding and requires long, slow, and concentrated study and effort. Over 2,000 years ago, a king being taught by the great geometer Euclid asked if the course could not be made easier for him because he was a king. In response, Euclid is reputed to have uttered the immortal saying “There is no royal road to geometry”. That is as true today as it was then. – Yours, etc,