Early Childhood Education

Children in Ireland attend two years of Early Childhood Education. While attendance is not mandatory, in 2021 96.4% of pupils from age 3 years to the starting age of compulsory education were enrolled in early childhood education (Eurostat, 2023). The framework for Early Childhood education is called Aistear, meaning journey. This framework is presented thematically and includes numerous mathematical foci, for example:

• plans activities in which young children order items and use the language of big/bigger/biggest, tall/taller/tallest, wide/wider/widest
• encourages children to think about amounts, colours and shapes, for example, Can we divide the apple pieces so that everyone gets the same number? Can you put all the blue cups on this table and the yellow ones on that table? How many chairs do you think we’ll need for the passengers on the bus? This piece doesn’t fit into the space. I think it’s too big. Can you find a smaller piece?

Primary Schools

The curriculum for primary and special schools is available here. The current version of the curriculum was published in 2024 for adoption in schools from September 2025. In the development of the current curriculum, numerous research reports and articles were commissioned from academics in relevant fields. The research reports and articles are available on the NCCA website, along with reports on consultations undertaken with teachers, parents and children.

The primary school mathematics curriculum sits within the curriculum framework for primary schools and reflects core principles of learning, teaching and assessment (p. 6) along with key competencies (p. 8).

The revised primary mathematics curriculum is underpinned by the components of mathematical proficiency (Kilpatrick et al., 2001) and includes an overview document, which contains the curriculum principles (Table 1), an overview of the strands and strand units (Table 2) and a vision for the curriculum in practice.

The curriculum document is accompanied by a toolkit of resources for teachers. For each strand unit (Table 2) of the curriculum, the toolkit contains learning outcomes; mathematical concepts; continua of learning experiences; and examples of children's mathematical learning.

The content of the curriculum is presented across continua of developmental milestones, a-k, and not assigned to class levels, per se. In Ireland children typically attend primary school from 5-13 years of age, with a small number starting school at 4 yrs old. For each strand unit there is a continuum for each element of the curriculum, (i.e. understanding; communicating; reasoning; and applying and problem-solving).

Along with mathematics education, STEM education is a subject area of the new Irish primary curriculum framework. However, as mathematics content is presented in a dedicated mathematics curriculum, the draft curriculum documentation refers to STE (science, technology and engineering). It is envisaged that the two curricula will sit “side-by-side” and that teachers will draw from both in teaching integrated STEM, and also in teaching Science, Technology and Engineering topics that stand alone. The STE curriculum has not yet been finalised but once published, it will be available on the NCCA website and on www.curriculumonline.ie.

Secondary School

Secondary school in Ireland is structured into 3 phases: a 3-year Junior Cycle, an optional Transition Year, and a 2-year Senior Cycle.

The aim of the Junior Cycle curriculum is to develop students’ mathematical proficiency, which is conceptualised as containing five interconnected and interwoven components: conceptual understanding; procedural fluency; strategic competence; adaptive reasoning; and productive disposition. The curriculum comprises four contextual strands, namely, Number, Geometry and Trigonometry, Algebra and Functions, and Statistics and Probability. These strands are underpinned by the Unifying Strand, comprising six elements that permeate across all contextual strands. These elements are: Building blocks; Representation; Connections; Problem solving; Generalisation and proof; and Communication. The curriculum specifies learning outcomes for each of the contextual strands at two levels, Ordinary Level and Higher Level. The Junior Cycle specification can be accessed here. The assessment for Junior Cycle mathematics comprises two components, classroom-based assessments (CBAs) and a written examination paper. There are two CBAs, one in second year and one in third year. For each CBA the students conduct an investigation and compile a report, which is subsequently graded by the teacher. Following CBA 2, the students undertake a written assessment task linked to this investigation. This task is graded by the State Examinations Commision. At the end of Junior Cycle, the students undertake a written examination paper in mathematics at the level of their choosing (Ordinary or Higher) created and marked by the State Examinations Commission.

At Senior Cycle, students can undertake the Leaving Certificate Established programme or the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. The Leaving Certificate Applied programme aims to prepare students for working life. As part of the program, students undertake a module entitled Mathematical Applications. This module focuses on developing students’ ability to use mathematics in their daily lives.

Students who undertake the Leaving Certificate Established programme may choose to study mathematics at Foundation Level, Ordinary Level or Higher Level. In the same manner as the Junior Cycle, the Senior Cycle curriculum aims to develop learners' mathematical proficiency, characterised in terms of conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning and productive disposition. The Senior Cycle Curriculum is underpinned by 5 strands: Statistics and Probability, Geometry and Trigonometry, Number, Algebra and Functions. The time allocated to the study of the Senior Cycle mathematics is 180 hours. The content to be studied at each level is specified in terms of learning outcomes, which are related to specific topics within the Strands. The Foundation Level learning outcomes are distinct from those specified at Ordinary Level and Higher Level. The Ordinary Level learning outcomes are a subset of those studied at Higher Level. The strands and topics specified for each level are shown in Table 3.

At the end of Senior Cycle, students undertake the Leaving Certificate comprising State Examination in the various subjects they have studied. For mathematics, students opting for Foundation Level undertake one examination paper, while students studying Ordinary or Higher Level complete two examination papers. All examination papers are created and marked by the State Examinations Commission.

Summarized by
Aisling Twohill, ICMI Country Representative (DCU Institute of Education, St Patrick's Campus, Dublin) and Stephen Quirke (University of Galway),
October 2024