Project Maths gets thumbs up in Westport

Project Maths gets thumbs up from Westport school principal


Anton McNulty

One of the main concerns nationally about Leaving Cert 2010 was the low number of students taking higher level Maths and the standard of Maths in general.
In an effort to attract more students to take up Maths and raise standards, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) introduced a new ‘user friendly’ Project Maths course - which was examined in 24 schools across the country.
The hope is that this new way of teaching Maths will spark a revival in the subject and one of the pilot schools chosen to use the Project Maths course was the Sacred Heart School in Westport and the school’s principal, Mary Ryan, was very happy with the outcome of the Maths results.
“We feel that it worked very well and there were no major disappointments and the experience of the teachers and students was very positive. The programme is aimed to reflect the lives and experience of the students and more emphasis on understanding the concept of maths and the application of maths in everyday life,” she explained.
The aim of Project Maths is to have 60 per cent of Junior Cert students studying higher level Maths and 30 per cent of Leaving Cert Maths.
Project Maths will go nationwide this September for the Junior and Leaving Cert.