Senior Cycle - Higher Level

Advice for Parents

More and more students are doing Maths for the Leaving Cert at Higher Level, because the student gets 25 extra points for doing it. It’s worth fighting for. It’s worth working hard for. But if your child is out of their depth, then there will be no joy in sticking with it.

I’ve heard parents say of their child (who I know won’t be able for the Leaving Cert Higher Level Maths exams) – but he wants to do engineering in Trinity so he must stick to it. My way of thinking would be the other way around (and more logical): “(S)he’s not able to do Higher Level Leaving Cert Maths, so engineering in Trinity will be out of the question. Let’s look at other engineering courses which require only Ordinary Level Maths – or something entirely different.”

Parents often ask me, “Do you think my child needs grinds in Maths?” My answer is, “Does (s)he need more teaching or more learning?” Think about it before you pay out cash. Teachers teach and students learn. Even if you have the best teacher in Ireland (and go to Castleknock College), you still have to learn the stuff. Maybe your child has to work at things for longer and learn the stuff.