MATHEMATICS

OVERVIEW
Out-of-field teachers
The teaching of specific subjects in secondary schools by teachers who hold no recognised
teaching qualification in that subject is clearly not desirable. These teachers are referred to as
‘out-of-field’ teachers (Ingersoll, 2002). The practice is not unique to Ireland and is common
place internationally as shown by comparative statistics in a report on this topic (Ní Ríordáin
and Hannigan, 2009). However, the practice impacts disproportionately on Junior Cycle
Mathematics students as very few qualified Mathematics teachers are deployed in the early
years of Junior Cycle as the report shows. Based on their survey, Ní Ríordáin and Hannigan
estimated that 48% of teachers of mathematics were out-of-field.
This issue has been addressed very effectively through the provision of a special programme to
up-skill and qualify out-of-field teachers of Mathematics who are currently employed in the
schools. The Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching, a government-funded 2-year
part-time blended learning programme, has been offered since September 2012 by a consortium
of HEIs led by EPI*STEM (formerly NCE-MSTL) at the University of Limerick. Four cohorts of
teachers have been approved to date; 288 members of cohort 1 graduated in January 2015;
cohort 2 (295 teachers) and cohort 3 (230 teachers) are engaged in the programme and cohort 4
(150 teachers) are currently participating in the programme. Successful graduates are deemed
by the Teaching Council to have met their requirements for mathematics teaching.
GENERAL ISSUES
Policy context
Ireland does not have a STEM education policy per se. Innovation 2020, which was published in
December 2015, is Ireland’s Strategy for Research and Development, Science and Technology.
Chapter 3 of Innovation 2020 deals with ‘Education for Innovation’ and states the following: ‘The
education of Ireland’s young people must be underpinned by a highly valued and highly skilled
teaching profession. A unified continuous professional development strategy will ensure consistent
teaching and learning in the various science subjects. The ongoing work of the Teaching Council in
developing a National Framework for Teachers’ Learning, and the Report of the STEM Education
Review Group will inform developments in this area.’
STEM EDUCATION IN THE IRISH SCHOOL SYSTEM
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While highlighting the need for a high-performing STEM Education system in Ireland, it is
disappointing that Innovation 2020 does not identify the absence of a national policy or strategy
in this context and does not call for its establishment. Without an effective strategy for STEM
education to secure and sustain a sufficient supply of high-quality scientists, engineers,
technologists and mathematicians, there are serious concerns that Ireland could lose economic
competitiveness and fail to realise its potential as a nation. For example, according to an expert
group, over the next six years Ireland will be challenged to fill an estimated 44,500 jobs requiring
high-level skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) (Expert Group on Future
Skills Needs (EGFSN), 2013). The HEA has warned that graduate output may fall behind demand in
the economy in the period to 2020 (HEA, 2014). The authors of this report point out that, if current
enrolment projections are realised over the period 2014 – 2020, projected graduate output will
fall short of labour market needs by 20% in a Recovery by 2020 scenario. In this context, it is
recognised that the ICT Skills Action Plan (DES/DJEI 2014) makes important recommendations
that both overlap and complement the content and recommendations of this report.