Weaknesses in the system will not be evident by Wednesday’s results.

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy and former school principal, Mary Mitchell O ’Connor, has today (Monday) called for the Chief Examiner’s report on Project Maths, which is with the Department of Education and Skills, to be published without delay so that a full assessment of the effectiveness of the subject can be determined.

“There is a genuine fear that Project Maths will lead to our students being wholly unprepared for what lies ahead at third level, as pupils are not being taught basic mathematical concepts. This will lead to students having to play catch-up when they enter college or university which will have a corresponding negative impact on the reputation of our third level institutions.

“I have been informed by a corrector of the Leaving Certificate honours mathematics paper that in one of the 75 mark questions, based on the robotic arm, the marking system had to be changed drastically to reflect more a favourable outcome as the results were so dismal. This means that Wednesday’s examination results will not give an accurate indication of the weaknesses in the system but instead will show the same number of pupils failing, the same number passing and the same number getting As, Bs and Cs.

“Due to the recent changes in the Leaving Certificate curriculum, the amount of calculus being taught has been severely reduced. Vectors, matrices, sequences and series, differential calculus, integral calculus and equations have also largely been removed. Probability and statistics are now worth 50% of the marks on Paper 2 and for the first time ever, students are not being given a choice in the questions they answer. Furthermore, there are concerns over the adequacy of the training being given to Project Maths teachers which also has severe repercussions on student’s abilities.

“The below-average performance of our pupils, when it comes to mathematics, has to be addressed. We need to get to the root of why our children are not succeeding in this area. Concerns that Project Maths is not the answer but that it will eventually lead to lower standards cannot be ignored as this will impact significantly on students’ preparation for third level courses and will act as an impediment to the future development of Ireland’s knowledge economy.

“I have raised this issue in the Dáil with the Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn, and will continue to keep in contact with him on the matter, expressing my concerns and those of a growing number of academics.

“I am calling on the Minister to ensure that the Chief Examiner’s report on Project Maths is published as early as possible so that a full and comprehensive assessment of where we are going can be determined, with any necessary changes being made as soon as is practically possible. ”