The current state of mathematics education in Ireland was discussed at a symposium earlier this week at Trinity College Dublin.
Participants heard that the poor take-up of the subject in the higher level Leaving Certificate is a cause for concern, not only from a rounded education perspective but also in terms of supporting the Irish economy.
The symposium was organised by TCD’s Faculty of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, and was chaired by Dr Chris Horn, co-founder of Iona Technologies and President of Engineers Ireland.
Value
“For me personally, the true value of mathematics is the training it gave me in spotting patterns,” Dr Horn said afterwards. “Observing commonality in different situations, abstracting and learning from these to produce a generalisation, and then finally applying a specific generalisation to solve a new situation which I have never met before.
“As an engineer, and even more so as a software developer, these are absolutely critical core skills,” he said.
The symposium discussed issues such as improving basic maths skills, quality of teaching, increasing the supply of accredited teachers, gender imbalance, and improving the pipeline of mathematically skilled scientists, economists, business graduates and engineers.
Crucial
The event’s organiser, Professor Clive Williams, Dean of the Faculty, said: “Good mathematical skills are crucial for students taking third-level courses – not just specific mathematical courses but across the board including all science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses as well as business, economics, geography and even psychology courses.”
Around 90 people attended the symposium, including academics, second and primary and teachers and associations, professional bodies, business associations and public servants.
Speakers included the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe; Bill Lynch of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment; Elizabeth Oldham of the Irish Mathematics Teachers’ Association; Patricia Callaghan, Academic Secretary, TCD; Dr Maria Meehan, School of Mathematical Sciences, UCD; Una Halligan, Chair of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs; P J Rudden, Vice-President of Engineers Ireland; and Paul Sweetman, Director, ICT Ireland and the ISA in IBEC.
Learn more
View presentations from the symposium (warning: some of the PowerPoint files are very large)
