Bonus Points For Maths

ALMOST 200 hi-tech jobs were announced as the Government signalled a major new incentive for students to pursue careers in the IT sector.

New Education and Skills Minister Mary Coughlan has backed a bonus-point system for higher Leaving Certificate maths in a significant U-turn in government policy.

Her announcement came as five leading multinational companies confirmed 175 job vacancies in the technology sector.

And a nanoscience research institute, CRANN, which is based at Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork, separately announced that it is to create 17 new research and development jobs after it was awarded €15.5m in non-Exchequer funding.

The poor uptake in higher-level maths is regarded as a major obstacle to producing enough qualified graduates to develop the ’smart economy’.

Article in Irish Independent (Thursday April 08 2010) By Katherine Donnelly and John Walshe
Read the full article here.