Leaving Certificate mathematics is the second and final phase of mathematics education at secondary level in Ireland. Following on the Junior Certificate mathematics curriculum, it is designed as a two-year course of study at one of three levels: foundation, ordinary, or higher. It culminates with two 150-minute papers during the Leaving Certificate examinations.
A required subject for matriculation at almost all Irish third-level institutions, Leaving Certificate mathematics has been dogged with controversy in recent years due to dwindling enrollment in the higher-level course and poor academic performance in the subject overall. In 2007, more than 40 percent of Leaving Certificate mathematics candidates received 20 or fewer CAO points in the subject, out of a possible 100, with only 12 percent earning 65 points or more.
Read more about Leaving Certificate Mathematics: Levels and Syllabi, Exam Participation and Results, 2005–08
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