THE PROJECT Maths initiative is designed to encourage better understanding of maths, to reinforce its practical relevance to everyday life and ensure better continuity in the subject between the primary, junior and senior cycles.
The user-friendly Project Maths syllabus is being implemented on a three-phase basis covering the five strands of maths taught in the State’s schools. Phase one (which commences this year), includes statistics and probability, phase two (starting in 2011) features geometry and trigonometry, while phase three (beginning in 2012) looks at functions.
A major objective of the initiative is to improve attainment levels in maths and to encourage more students to take the subject at higher level. This year some 1,818 candidates in 24 schools sat a different Leaving Cert maths paper 2 as part of the initiatives pilot phase, which began in 2008.
All students entering 1st and 5th years in September will take the Project Maths course at higher and ordinary level. It will be fully implemented in all second-level class groups by 2015.
A national programme of professional development for teachers, to prepare them for the new course, began last year and will continue to at least 2013. Some €5 million is being invested in the area this year.
Employers group Ibec and Engineers Ireland have welcomed the initiative. However, maths teacher and textbook author George Humphrey said the system was flawed.
Mr Humphrey said the course appeared to be considerably longer and that he was concerned that the marking schemes for the course was open to change.
