O'Keeffe faces maths problem

JUST one-in-six students sat higher level maths in this year's Leaving Cert. Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe claimed that changes in the maths curriculum over the next few years will be the best way to tackle the falling interest in the subject.

But Fine Gael and industry leaders have called for urgent changes to how maths and science are taught to guarantee a stream of suitable graduates for engineering and technology employers.

Meanwhile, up to 50 students were not given a result in at least one Leaving Cert subject because they cheated or broke exam rules.

A further 52 grades were being withheld yesterday evening by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) until the completion of investigations into suspected rule breaches.

The 50 results withheld were in English, Irish, maths, biology, geography, home economics, art, physics, agricultural science, Leaving Certificate link modules and Leaving Certificate Applied.

The types of offence involved can include using a book or notes during an exam or being caught talking to another student.

In cases still under investigation, the SEC is awaiting a response from candidates or their schools to suspicions of rules being broken, and it is possible that results will be issued after matters are clarified.

The types of cases being probed can include very similar answers by students at the same exam centre in a school, or notes which appear to have been brought into the exam being found on the answer paper.

The withholding of results is open to appeal by affected students.