Dear editor,

I would like to congratulate all students who received their Leaving Certificate results recently and wish them all the best, but note the ongoing trends in achievement in maths and the physical sciences as worrying for Ireland's future economic development.

Completing these exams is a real achievement, and there are many options open to these young people in terms of further and higher education, training, apprenticeships and employment.

However, the recent figures confirm worrying trends from previous years, especially in the key areas of mathematics, chemistry and physics.

In addition, the failure rates for both Higher and Ordinary Level mathematics have risen, and once again close to 12 per cent of students attempting the Ordinary Level paper have not passed.

The problems with maths and science at second-level are having negative ramifications higher up the education chain in third-level, yet the Government has failed to implement all of the recommendations of the Task Force on the physical sciences. 

Once again, the Leaving Certificate results have exposed the soft underbelly of Ireland's supposed move towards a knowledge economy. The figures speak for themselves and show that the Government remains blind to the need for reform in how key subjects are taught and examined.

Cllr Declan Flanagan
Artane ward
Fine Gael