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The Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English T.D., has congratulated the 56,990 students who received their Leaving Certificate results today. He particularly welcomed the positive trends in relation to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects.

Minister English welcomed the upward trend in students taking subjects such as Chemistry and Physics. He also highlighted the increase in the number of candidates presenting for Higher Level papers in STEM subjects:

“Some 14,326 students presented for the Higher Level Mathematics paper in 2014 which is a record number of candidates. The 74% increase in the proportion of students taking Higher Level Mathematics since 2011 is testament to the success of the additional 25 bonus points that are on offer to students who achieve a D3 or higher, combined with the implementation of the revised Mathematics syllabus”, said Minister English.

The Minister also pointed to the increases in the proportion of students taking Higher Level papers in Chemistry and Applied Mathematics (both up by 7% on 2013) as very positive developments.

He said: “As the Minister with responsibility for Skills, Research and Innovation, I hope that some of those students receiving their Leaving Certificate results today will continue their studies in STEM subjects. There are relevant opportunities available in both the Further Education and Training, and Higher Education sectors. It is absolutely vital that we ensure an adequate number of appropriately qualified graduates from both of these sectors if we are to continue to grow the STEM sector in Ireland.

“Regardless of the path that students choose to follow in the future, I hope they celebrate their achievements today with the same maturity they have shown in pursuing their studies over the past few years”, the Minister concluded.