All pupils deserve the right to equal treatment

THERE tends to be a lot of hand-wringing about maths standards around the time of the Leaving and Junior Cert results, or when global league tables show that Irish students rank as only “average”.

It has translated into changes, such as the new Project Maths syllabus in second-level schools – although not everyone agrees it is a good thing – and bonus points for a certain level of achievement in the subject at Leaving Cert. The primary curriculum is being overhauled.

Teacher quality is also being addressed. A programme has been under way for some years to upskill the very large number of maths teachers at secondlevel who were not properly qualified in the subject.

More recently, it was announced that the minimum maths requirements for entry to primary teacher training courses would rise in 2019.

But even if each of those yields positive results, it won’t amount to much if delivery is patchy. Not everyone needs, or could achieve, a H1, but everyone is entitled to equal treatment. Take two equally excellent maths teachers, teaching the best syllabus, in neighbouring classrooms, or neighbouring schools: if one spends a lot more time working with pupils, it seems obvious they will learn more than their pals next door, or down the road. The EPI-STEM report cites research showing a link between instruction time and pupil outcomes.

It is old-fashioned to think only the “A class” need to be good at maths, proficiency in the subject is a cornerstone of future academic success generally and regarded as essential for the modern workplace, indeed for life itself.