5th December 2024
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) has commended the outstanding achievements of Irish students and teachers in the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2023), an international assessment of Mathematics and Science performance.
Ireland’s Key Achievements in TIMSS 2023
- Irish fourth-class pupils and second-year students scored significantly above the international average.
- Fourth-class pupils showed notable improvement in Mathematics and Science compared to 2011, a period marked by education funding cuts.
- Ireland emerged as the top-performing EU country in Mathematics and Science at second year.
Teacher Excellence Highlighted
Máirín Ní Chéileachair, INTO Director of Education Research and Learning, praised Irish teachers for their dedication during challenging times, including the pandemic and the ongoing teacher supply crisis. She cautioned that failure to address teacher shortages could jeopardise recent progress in Mathematics, Science, Literacy, and Digital Literacy.
INTO President Carmel Browne congratulated teachers, pupils, and schools on their tremendous achievement, expressing hope for continued improvement. She highlighted the importance of ensuring every child has access to a qualified teacher and smaller class sizes by the next TIMSS report in 2027.
Ms Browne welcomed this week’s grants for STEM and Arts resources to support the implementation of the redeveloped primary curriculum but urged the Department of Education to commit to annual funding throughout its rollout. She also called for early clarity on subject specifications and teacher training programmes for September’s curriculum changes.
Read the full TIMSS 2023 report.