Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 4

Written Answers. - Leaving Certificate Subjects.

Richard Bruton

Question:

300 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the total number of schools at second level which offer all three main science subjects; the number which do not offer (i) physics, (ii) chemistry and (iii) biology; and if he will outline this information for second level VEC schools, secondary voluntary schools and second level community and comprehensive schools. [19068/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The following is the information requested by the Deputy:

Based on 1998-99 enrolments, the total number of schools at second level offering all three main science subjects, and the numbers of schools in each sector not offering each subject, are as shown in the following table.

	Secondary	Vocational	Community &Comprehensive	Totals
Total number of schools	432	245	82	759
Schools not offering Physics	56	120	8	184
Schools not offering Chemistry	48	162	18	228
Schools not offering Biology	11	31	2	44
Schools providing Physics, Chemistry and Biology	346	73	64	483

It may be noted that, while the total number of schools at second level is 759, 23 of these do not offer the leaving certificate programme. Thus, if these 23 schools are excluded, the total numbers of schools at second level which offer the leaving certificate programme but which do not offer physics, chemistry and biology are 161, 205 and 21, respectively.