Our students are falling behind globally because of how we teach maths, writes Turlough O'Sullivan
THE IRISH economy must make a monumental economic transformation to become a knowledge-based economy.
This requires the Department of Education and Science to adopt a visionary approach by bringing three fundamental changes to our education system immediately.
These are: the reintroduction of bonus points for maths to increase the numbers of students taking the subject at higher level; the immediate implementation of Project Maths; the most comprehensive review of the mathematics syllabus in 25 years, and the introduction of a suite of incentives and supports for mathematics teachers.
Our transition to the knowledge economy will depend on how well our education system transmits mathematical skills to our young people.
Mathematics provides the language and analytical tools that underpin much of our scientific and industrial research and development.
Mathematical concepts, models and techniques are central to working in technology, finance, pharmaceutical and medical devices - sectors that underpin the knowledge economy in which the Government has invested so heavily.
Currently, our education system is not adequately preparing young people to compete for such jobs. There is a system failure in developing mathematical competence in students.
At a macro-level, fewer numbers of skilled mathematics graduates will threaten to reduce our innovative capacity and hence our ability to compete against other knowledge economies for jobs and foreign direct investment.
The education system must reorganise itself fundamentally. This will require visionary policy, political bravery and a willingness to let go of the long-held positions on education from all stakeholders interested in Ireland's continued success.
Teachers, their unions, the Government, parents and business will need to co-operate urgently to address the deficiencies in the current education system.
Immediate steps must be taken to address both the falling level of students choosing honours mathematics in school and the ability of students to apply what they learn in the classroom to the real world.
The first step is the introduction of bonus points for honours mathematics to give incentives students to take the subject at higher level.
It is a necessary and short-term solution as many of our knowledge intensive sectors could not survive a further 10-year drought of graduates with higher level mathematics.
Almost 85 per cent of Leaving Cert students choose not to take the higher paper and automatically exclude themselves from pursuing highly rewarding science, engineering, hi-tech careers.
If this trend continues, sectors such as ICT, where Ireland traditionally leads globally, will continue to fall further behind other knowledge economies.
Already, students in such economies are outperforming Ireland's in many maths-related areas, most worryingly in the key area of problem-solving.
International studies, such as Pisa (Programme for International Student Assessment) show our 15-year- olds to be just about average in mathematics overall and below average when it comes to applying theory to real-life situations.
So, of the reduced numbers of pupils taking mathematics, their achievement levels are too low to sustain a transition to a knowledge economy.
The two intertwined factors that have an impact on educational achievement in mathematics are teachers and the syllabus.
A recent McKinsey survey of the top-performing education systems highlighted teachers as the key factor in student performance.
Ensuring teachers are motivated, equipped with the necessary skills, highly qualified and supported correctly is the solution.
The Department of Education and Science must take responsibility for driving fundamental changes in the syllabus and the teaching methods around mathematics in classrooms.
This will require innovative professional development supports and incentives, including extra remuneration where mathematics teachers attain specific qualifications (higher diploma, masters etc).
The introduction of special posts of responsibility for the teaching of mathematics at primary and post-primary level would raise the profile and offer support to teachers of mathematics in schools.
The development of a suite of specific training mechanisms for mathematics teachers, including on-the-job training in the workplace, peer-to-peer networking for mathematics teachers and sharing of best practice is an area where the business community could offer expertise and support.
These measures will raise the profile of the profession and will attract talented graduates. The resulting increase in teaching quality in mathematics will be instrumental in transmitting mathematical competence to students and may also attract more pupils into the subject at higher level.
Irish teachers and students deserve a world class syllabus. Project Maths, which is the most comprehensive review of the mathematics syllabus in 25 years, must therefore go ahead on time and be given sufficient budgetary support. I welcome the Minister's announcement that the project is beginning in September and will be rolled out nationally in 2010.
The proposed changes in the curriculum will make mathematics more relevant to the real world, make it more interesting for the students (and the teachers) and will encourage more students to consider the higher option for their Leaving Certificate (and at Junior Certificate level) when it is rolled out throughout the system.
The time has come to make tough strategic choices and significant investments in order to achieve excellence in education and, in particular, the teaching of mathematics.
If the Government, and, specifically the Department of Education and Science, is prepared to be visionary and make difficult decisions, it will be rewarded by knowing that it will have helped our students to learn better, our teachers to teach better and our schools to operate more effectively.
I believe that excellence in education is an achievable goal and a goal that every parent, teacher and student would support.
Turlough O'Sullivanis director general of Ibec, the employers' group