Circular Number: 0037/2020

Treppen wrote: »

You keep neglecting the fact that these students are very often equally capable across all subjects. Their ability spectrum goes across all subjects. But that's equal ability going in, but the outcome at the other end isn't equal.
As I mentioned I have had excellent students who outright say that their chances of getting a H1 is easier in another subject so they won't be choosing mine. The exams are easier.

I think you're coming across a little bitter in these posts. If you are struggling to recruit students to your subject then maybe you should focus on what you can do to increase the numbers.

The highest % of H1s in my school consistently are for DCG. Does that automatically make DCG easier than my subjects? No. Students who do DCG tend to be interested in it, enjoy it and the practical work suits them. They tend to do well. The same can be said for the physical science subjects. These subjects are also requirements for many college courses - more so than geography for example so students tend to work very hard.

As mentioned many times before students find the physics and chemistry components of Junior Science difficult so the less able students tend to stay away from it for Leaving Cert. This skews the results.

I haven't taught subjects other than my own so it would be very ignorant for me to say one subject is easier than another. For my Leaving Cert I did two science and two business subjects. I found the business subjects much easier than the sciences because I could learn off steps and information. I enjoyed the challenge of the sciences much more though.
Is this relevant? Not at all - because this is just my single experience. Many students may have similar experiences but many may have the opposite.
Its all down to the individual.

This is gone way off topic so I'm done with this current theme.

Smacruairi wrote: »

we are pushing students to try to scrape 30% to get bonus points. That's wrong.

That is indeed wrong. There are no bonus points for 30%.

Smacruairi wrote: »

Interesting debate, and just to wade in with my 2c.

I teach Irish, have a very strong cohort, a lot would do physics and chem and just have an interest in the language. However they consistently prioritise option subjects over Irish and English as they see it as easier to get the top marks in them as opposed to subjective marking in languages.

Not bitter about the option subjects at all, higher maths however will have to answer for the sins of bonus points yin the future in my opinion. Anxiety and wellbeing as priorities for DES, but we are pushing students to try to scrape 30% to get bonus points. That's wrong.

I have said this from the time the bonus points come in: the bonus points should only apply if you get 60% (or 55% in the previous system, but back up to 60% now). They should not apply if you only get 40%, because that’s only a pass, not an ‘honour’.
The idea of the bonus points was to discourage people from doing ordinary level maths when they were able for higher level, but didn’t feel that the extra effort was worth it. If you only get 40%, you obviously weren’t clearly able for ‘honours’ anyway.

RealJohn wrote: »

30% is not “the new pass score”, as I understand it. It’s still a fail. You just get points for it, because they figured (probably rightly) that a ‘good’ fail at HL probably deserves some points.

Unfortunately, it's how students see it. If it gets them into college it's a pass in their eyes. I've heard students getting mocks back getting something like 28% saying 'I'm only 2% off a pass'.