58 per cent increase in numbers taking Higher Level Maths over last two years, and 16 per cent rise in students taking Higher Level IrishThe Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has sent his congratulations to the 55,572 Leaving Certificate students who will be collecting their results at their schools, or by phone or online today.
“The waiting is over. I hope the results received reflect the work and the many hours of study that the students have committed to over the last few years,” Minister Quinn said.
“While our congratulations and good wishes must be focussed on the students who receive their exam results today, I also want to pay tribute to you the parents, families, teachers and school communities who have helped them reach this milestone.”
This year, 26 per cent of all Maths students took the Higher Level paper – the highest figure on record. In 2011 there were 8,235 candidates and this increased to 13,014 in 2013.
“I am particularly pleased to see the significant growth in the number of students taking Higher Level Maths continue this year. There can be no doubt that the 25 additional bonus points available for those who achieve a D3 or higher has had a major impact, but the increase also reflects the introduction of the new Project Maths syllabus,” Minister Quinn said.
The numbers taking Higher Level Irish have increased from 14,358 in 2011 to 16,669 in 2013. This reflects the new increase in the proportion of marks for the oral exam – up from 25 per cent to 40 per cent. Minister Quinn also welcomed this significant increase.
“This Government is committed to increasing the capacity of our young people to know and love the Irish language. Our new policy, which now sees 50 per cent of all marks available for the oral and aural components of the exams, is clearly reaping dividends.”
Our Leaving Certificate reflects our changing society with a significant increase in the number of candidates for the Non-Curricular languages this year. Some 1,470 candidates opted for these languages in 2013 compared to 1,370 in 2012 with Polish, Lithuanian and Romanian the most popular.
In June there was concern about errors in the Mathematics papers. Account was taken by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) in relation to these errors. Minister Quinn has just received a report from the SEC in relation to these errors, and will take a few days to consider the content of the report before making any further comment.
Minister Quinn continued, “Completion of the Leaving Certificate is the end of a very important phase of our young people’s lives. It is the start of a new beginning, filled with new opportunities – not only in further and higher education for the majority – but also in many other fields.”
While many will be awaiting the CAO announcements next week, the Minister would encourage those who may be disappointed with their results to consider the other options available to them, such as further education level 5 and 6 FETAC awards. These pathways offer great opportunities and also an alternative route to higher education, for students who take this route.
The number of candidates overall has decreased very slightly from 55,816 in 2012 to 55,572 in 2013. The results for most subjects, with the exceptions of Maths and Irish, are in line with previous years.
Minister Quinn concluded, “I hope you enjoy celebrating your results with your families and friends – you deserve to celebrate your achievements. Look out for each other tonight, and into the future.”