Old Maths Syllabus

Michael Collins

With all the talk recently of dumbing down of Maths - someone I know in particular reckons it was a lot harder "in his day" which was before the last change of the syllabus in 1994 - I'd like to check it out for myself.

So I was wondering if anybody has access to some pre-1994 Higher Maths LC papers? Or where I might get them? Or even just an idea of what was on the syllabus that isn't anymore?

There's some hints that L'Hôpital's rule may have been convered in a previous version. Likewise with the formulae for the sum and product of the roots of a cubic equation: sum = -b/a, product = -d/a (still quite a useful one to know for today's syllabus actually). Any others?

I suppose the fact the Junior Cert. has changed means certain things cannot be done on the Leaving Cert. either. The fact that the products of the segments of intersecting chords are equal comes to mind, and I'm sure there are others...

RoundTower

It might be easier to look for an old maths textbook than the past papers. I bet my mother has one in the attic, along with everything else she's ever owned.

Michael Collins

Yeh good idea. If you could find that book I'd buy it off ya, or at least rent it off you for a while if you wanted it back...

SuperInfinity

The LC higher level at a very high standard as it is. It's even significantly harder than first year of maths at college (well except for a degree IN maths with nothing else)... there are so many different parts to it and it can be very tricky even if you know the material.

The JC... yeah I'd say has probably been dumbed down, but not the higher LC. God help the people who were doing the LC previous to 1994 if it were any harder than it is now....

Eliot Rosewater

SuperInfinity wrote: »

The JC... yeah I'd say has probably been dumbed down, but not the higher LC.

So you're claiming it hasn't been dumbed down...

SuperInfinity wrote: »

God help the people who were doing the LC previous to 1994 if it were any harder than it is now....

...but then you're saying it may have been. I think you're mistaking "dumbed down" for hard: just because you found the current course hard does not mean it has never been harder.


I'd also be interested to see the old maths syllabus. The new project maths scheme looks a bit easier that the current course. It's sad to see the quality of education go by the wayside to make the government and trade unions look good on paper. We need better teachers, not easier courses.

Delphi91

The courses in maths have changed quite dramatically.

I did my LC waaaaay back in 1983 - I did O.L. I remember having a set of papers which I was working through and the ordinary level DEFINITELY contained integration back in the mid-late 70's.

SuperInfinity

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

So you're claiming it hasn't been dumbed down...



...but then you're saying it may have been. I think you're mistaking "dumbed down" for hard: just because you found the current course hard does not mean it has never been harder.


I'd also be interested to see the old maths syllabus. The new project maths scheme looks a bit easier that the current course. It's sad to see the quality of education go by the wayside to make the government and trade unions look good on paper. We need better teachers, not easier courses.

Ok, I accept I did contradict myself a little there. My claim is that it's unlikely to have been dumbed down very much (unless it was in the couple of years since I did it). "dumbed down" sounds like a strong expression... stronger than "easier".

If only someone could post those papers...

RoundTower

Michael Collins wrote: »

Yeh good idea. If you could find that book I'd buy it off ya, or at least rent it off you for a while if you wanted it back...

you'd be welcome to it, but it might be months before I'm next at home to take a look.

SuperInfinity

It's all academic now. :rolleyes: