For the third year in a row, the number of students who plan to take the higher-level paper for Leaving Certificate maths has increased.
This huge change means that nearly one in three of all LC students are thinking about taking an honours paper this year, which amounts to 17,181 students.
Every year, about 2,000 pupils who planned to take the paper don’t actually go ahead with it. But even if all 17,181 students don’t take the honours paper this year, the number is still impressive.
According to Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, "We need young people who are not only competent but excel in maths for careers in engineering, research, digital technologies, and other growth areas.
"Without excellence in maths, we will not be able to attract and retain foreign direct investment into Ireland – the Googles, Apples and Facebooks. Nor will we be able to foster the development and growth of new Irish companies immersed in the digital age," Mr Quinn added.
This explains why the CAO introduced 25 extra points for those who achieve a minimum D3 grade in the LC higher-level Maths paper.
The extra points initiative is part of the desire to boost performance in maths across Ireland, so that youngsters can have a better foundation to study engineering or maths-based subjects at third level.
