A second member of a group tasked with reforming mathematics courses for the Leaving Certificate has resigned.
Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, an associate professor of mathematics at Dublin City University (DCU), said there were a number of shortcomings in the draft curricula.
Professor Pauline Mellon resigned from the group in January citing similar concerns.
Work on updating the Leaving Cert maths curriculum began almost two years ago, and draft specifications have been published.
However, Dr Ní Shúilleabháin said she resigned from working with the group in June because, she said, it was no longer something she could be part of.
She said the curricula were littered with mathematical errors and inaccuracies; would not give students a flavour of how enjoyable the subject could be; and would not prepare them for further study.
“I was hopeful that a review of the curriculum would be evidence-based, would interrogate what has or hasn’t worked well so far, and would explore what mathematical skills students might need in ten years time where there are multiple global challenges to contend with in a data-drive and AI-integrated world,” Dr Ní Shúilleabháin said.
Watch: Draft LC maths curricula ‘inaccurate’ – Ní Shúilleabháin
“Unfortunately, conversations were limited to simply removing content and shoe-horning assessments into a format that does not make sense.
“As the second person to resign from this group, I believe there are fundamental structural issues in how we design, plan and implement the policy documents that are our national post-primary curricula in Ireland,” she added.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Dr Ní Shúilleabháin said there was never a discussion or opportunity allowed to ask what students will need in ten years’ time.
She said students are “going to be graduating at a time or coming into a world of work at a time that is data-driven and AI-based”.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) said the draft proposals are to allow for teachers and others working in education an opportunity to assess them and that public engagement would be sought in the coming months.
This feedback, it said, will help “to shape the next stage of work and ensure the final mathematics specifications are clear, rigorous, inclusive and practical to implement”.
Dr Ní Shúilleabháin said there were excellent people on the group and that she “enjoyed working with them, but there needs to be a greater balance of teachers and subject experts”.
“I regularly shared my concerns with the group and with members of the NCCA,” she said, “and I requested a meeting with the education minister a number of months ago”.
Dr Ní Shúilleabháin said that if she had trust that fundamental changes could be made to the curriculum after the public consultation, then she would have stayed.
Investigation call
Prof Mellon has called for an investigation to take place into ongoing reforms of the curriculum.
“I think this proposed curriculum needs to be scrapped, and a public consultation will not fix this problem,” she said.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with David McCullagh, Prof Mellon said her feedback was not being taken on board and that she “exhausted every possible avenue to try and get my voice heard”.
“I resigned because I feel they’re not fit for purpose, and I can’t give any stamp of approval to the curricula in that state,” she added.
NCCA director Rachel Linney said efforts are made to ensure documents are mathematically accurate.
The documents, she said, are edited many times in light of feedback and mistakes can be made.
However all mathematical errors and inconsistencies can be fixed, she added.
Ms Linney said: “We do strive to obviously ensure that the documents are mathematically accurate, and we did have an independent mathematician review the documents for any inaccuracies and errors in advance of their publication for consultation.”
She said the Leaving Cert builds on many years of students learning maths in early childhood, primary, and in Junior Cycle, which means it is important to consider the mathematical experience that students have, as well as considerations for their future.
Also speaking on the same programme, NCCA Chief Executive Arlene Forster said re-development of the maths curriculum is a rigorous, evidence-based process and public consultation is a key part of the process.
She said the NCCA receives feedback in a number of different ways and this is shared with development groups working on the curriculum.
Ms Foster said feedback from the first public consultation was summarised by the NCCA and brought to the development group.
Since September last year, all of the raw feedback can also be accessed by any members of development groups, including maths, Ms Forster added.
She said it is “very rare” for two experts to leave a group. However she pointed out that the group has 15 members and a wide range of relevant expertise.
Ms Forster said the public consultation is running for an extended period of time and the NCCA is eager to hear from anyone with an interest.
She acknowledged the contributions made by Prof Mellon and Dr Ní Shúilleabháin and said their comments would be taken on board.
“There will be different perspectives, different viewpoints, different opinions.
“We have to work through those and arrive at consensus about the curriculum, while all the while having a really close eye to research, international good practice, but ultimately with students at the very centre of this and what we’re trying to achieve for young people in this particular stage of their education,” she added.