Project Maths is the name given to a new maths syllabus which has been piloted for two years in 24 schools around the country and will be introduced in all schools in September 2010.

It is hoped that the introduction of Project Maths will increase the numbers taking Leaving Cert Higher Maths from the present 16% to 30% of the total number of Leaving Cert maths students. 

However, anecdotal reports coming back from the pilot schools are very mixed. Some of these schools have tried to opt out of the pilot, but have remained in the program, possibly due to persuasion and the provision of extra in-service courses.

The Project Maths syllabus consists of 5 strands. Strands 1 and 2 have been taught in the pilot schools and they will be examined in the Leaving Cert 2010. The other strands will be introduced on a phased basis.

The main complaints about the program are:

• Lack of text books,
• No sample papers,
• Excessivly long syllabus for Strand 1,
• Strand 2 syllabus still not finalised.

At two meetings of the Irish Maths Teachers’ Association, the vast majority of teachers expressed their concern about the syllabus and the way in which Project Maths was being introduced. The consensus of opinion was that the rolling out of Project Maths in all 5th year classes in September should be postponed.

There is also a feeling that funding (from an outside source) has been secured for the implementation of Project Maths and this may account for the undue haste with which it is being implemented.

Another concern is that, while all students will be taking the same first paper in this year’s Leaving Cert, the Project Maths schools will be sitting a special paper 2 which will have a totally different (and very sympathetic) marking scheme.

Reasons for postponing the introduction of Project Maths in 5th year classes in all schools in September 2010

• The Report of Engineers Ireland February 2010 states “There are aspects of Project Maths which appear ill-conceived and poorly thought out, and has led to concerns that Project maths is diluting or dumbing down Mathematics”.
• There are no text books, no sample papers, no marking schemes, and the syllabus is not finalised. Teachers have attended at most two in-service courses.
• The syllabus (still not finalised) as now proposed will not prepare students for maths in third level.
• The proposed methods for teaching Project Maths have been abandoned in other countries. The program discourages rote learning, an essential tool for teaching maths.
• The probable removal of Vectors/Integration/Matrices/Transformations/ from the Syllabus (essential for students going on to study Science/Engineering/Architecture at 3rd level) is a retrograde step.
• The removal of choice of questions (students must answer all questions) is also a retrograde step.
• The inclusion of compulsory Euclidian Geometry at Leaving Cert Higher level for the first time ever. This will send students in droves to ordinary level. Euclidian Geometry is not examined in any exam at 1st year in 3rd level. It was also the least attempted question on the Ordinary Level Leaving Cert maths. There is no valid reason to include so much geometry.
• The inclusion of four compulsory questions on Statistics and Probability (135 marks out of 300 = 45% on the Ordinary Level and 150 out of 300 = 50% on the Higher Level) is totally unjustified! In the regular Leaving Cert, at most 33% of the total marks are for these topics and students have a choice!  
• Students who take Project Maths will be at a serious disadvantage at 3rd level when competing with students from UK and Northern Ireland.     
• Project Maths Leaving Cert results may not be accepted by UK universities.    

John Brennan has 40 years' experience of teaching maths at all levels in post primary schools. He is the author of three solution books for both Junior and Leaving Cert Maths. He is currently senior maths teacher at Ballinteer Institute Tuition Centre in Dundrum, Dublin 14, and is editor of the website www.projectmaths.com