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Maths WeekSeptember Newsletter
PISA 2025 Results, Leaving Cert Maths Reforms NI Curriculum Reforms All the ways you can get involved in Maths Week Don’t forget to register your school as taking part |
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Dear Maths Friends,
We are back in the thick of it with terms underway and Maths Week preparations at full throttle.
Teachers, don’t forget to register and show your school is a mathstastic school!
PISA results were released last week, see below for more. There is a lot happening in maths education - North and South - with new curriculum proposals and consultations windows open now. Teachers should avail of these opportunities to contribute - see below for more.
IMTA and NIMTA annual meetings are coming up! IMTA next Saturday and NIMTA the following Saturday. These are going to be very important meetings.
The RIA have announced Fields Medalist James Maynard as this year’s Hamilton Lecturer. See below for details.
There are several events announced for Maths Week see below for some highlights. Events will be added daily in the run up.
Read below for Maths News and Coming Events, and information about taking part in Maths Week 2026. |
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Eoin Gill, Maths Week Founder |
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Ireland and UK performs strongly in PISA |
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The PISA 2025 results were announced last week. The major domain tested was reading, with mathematics and science also tested. Ireland was ranked number one in Europe for reading, with the UK quite close in 3rd place. In Mathematics, Ireland remained above the OECD average with 480 points staying in the top |
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5 in Europe. The UK on 488 points moves from slightly behind Ireland in 2022, to 8 points ahead of Ireland. The UK’s position in maths declined 1 point from 2022 while Ireland declined 12 points. Internationally there has been a decline in averages across all domains.
The PISA results should be interpreted cautiously. The message seems to be that the education systems both in Ireland and the UK are performing well. However, the decline since 2022 needs attention. This is a continuation of the international decline between 2018 and 2022. While the impacts of Covid are still working through the educational system, the finger is increasingly pointing to screen time and “digital distraction”. That digital influence is here to stay, and add to that the spectre of AI means that we have a big challenge not only in imparting mathematical knowledge but also developing problem solving skills which require concentration, perseverance and positive attitudes. Maths Week has an important part to play in meeting these challenges. |
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Proposed Curriculum Changes |
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Northern Ireland Curriculum Changes |
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The CCEA is proposing changes to curriculum in Northern Ireland starting in 2028. The mathematics proposal specifies in considerably more detail what pupils should know at each stage from Foundation Stage through Key Stage 3. In addition to the content, teachers are interested in balance between mathematical knowledge and fluency on one hand and problem solving on the other and of course the implementation plans. The Northern Ireland Maths Teachers Association have circulated their members with a survey to inform their submission- members should check their emails for details.
Formal consultation is still open and does not close until 30 September 2026 |
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Leaving Cert Maths Reforms |
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The NCCA is currently working on a new Leaving Certificate Mathematics specification and it is open to public consultation until 18 November 2026.
This is within a wider development of the senior cycle curriculum and aims to give greater emphasis to mathematical reasoning and problem-solving. However there has been widespread media attention following the well publicised resignation of Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabhán from the development group. |
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Aoibhinn is a lecturer in mathematics education at DCU and a well-known science communicator. This follows the resignation last January of maths professor Pauline Mellon. There is widespread disquiet in the mathematical community around the higher level specifications with the belief that there will be a reduction in rigour, abstraction and depth as well as the removal of important topics. You can see some of the background story here: https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0901/1589895-maths-course-development-group/
Meanwhile the Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegard Naughton emphasises that it is only at draft stage and can change. She encourages teachers, parents and students to engage with the consultation. There will be two consultation events around Maths Week:
Information about the draft specification and how to contribute can be found here
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Put Your School on the Map! |
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Register your school as taking part in Maths Week! By registering your school as taking part, you help us track the number or students getting involved in Maths activities and allows us to continue to grow Maths Week.
Last year we had over 500,000 students participating, let’s break that record in 2026! Register your school today and enter in a chance to win one of 5 Samsung Galaxy tablets or a set of IZAK 9 Cubes for the teachers. All schools registered are automatically entered. |
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Hamilton Walk 16 October, 1:30pm |
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| Every year, Maths Week happens around 16 October, which is the date when Hamilton discovered Quaternions, a strange new number system that play a fundamental role in computer games and animation, special effects in films, space navigation, and more. |
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The Hamilton Walk will retrace Hamilton’s steps, starting from Dunsink Observatory to Broombridge in Cabra where he had his Eureka moment. He scratched his quaternion formula onto the canal bridge where it still remains today. Come learn about Hamilton, retrace his steps, and go through a journey of mathematical discovery! |
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| RIA Hamilton Lecture: The Mysteries of Prime Numbers 16 October at 6:00pm |
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The Royal Irish Academy commemorates Hamilton annually on 16 October through an award ceremony that recognises the most gifted third level mathematics students in Ireland. This years internationally renowned speaker will be Field Medallist Professor James Maynard, talking about the Mysteries of Prime Numbers. |
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| Fields Medallist Professor James Maynard |
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| Prime numbers are some of the most fascinating objects in mathematics. On the one hand they are basic and fundamental and are vital for modern internet security. On the other hand, they remain mysterious and poorly understood - despite being studied for thousands of years! In this year’s Hamilton Lecture, Professor James Maynard, will explain why prime numbers are vital, both in pure mathematics and in the real world, and how current mathematics is able to make progress on some of the key questions which have occupied mathematicians going back to the ancient Greeks. |
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During Maths Week, find some Maths puzzles in parks around the island. Do at your own pace, take a walk through the parks and test your brain in the outdoors. If you see our puzzles, make sure to send us your photos at tag us @mathsweekireland #IUseMaths |
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You will find Puzzles in the Park in parks and public spaces in Belfast, Cork, Galway, Dublin, Waterford, Derry~Londonderry, Kilkenny, Tralee, Limerick, Wexford We are currently finalising the parks and public spaces for this year and full details will be posted on the website. |
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| Celebration of Mind Botanic Gardens Dublin
Sunday 18 October |
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| Maths Week 2026 will wrap up in style on Sunday 18 October at the Botanic Gardens, Dublin. Celebration of Mind takes its inspiration from Martin Gardner, who is probably the greatest populariser of Maths in the 20th Century. |
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Featuring games, puzzles, and teasers from around the world in the beautiful surroundings of the Botanic Gardens in Dublin. All are welcome to come by and engage with Maths games and puzzles at their own pace with a variety of presenters and volunteers! |
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Maths Week has partnered with Ireland State Savings again this year to develop Money Sense Activities for Primary Students. This year we are adding Junior and Senior Infants activities and a new digital game for 3rd & 4th Class. Take a look at the preview for these activities.
You can find our Money Sense! Games from last year, including the Shopping Spree and Squirell game, on the Maths Week Resource page. These activities are a great way to introduce students to money maths in a fun, interactive way. |
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Maths Week PostersOur team has created posters for Junior Primary, Senior Primary, Junior Secondary, and Senior Secondary around Maths. These are a great resource to introduce your class to Maths concepts. They are available in both English and Irish versions. |
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Get Involved with Maths Week! |
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Here are the ways you can get your students involved in Maths Week: Live Events - We will have Maths in the City for all to come by and play with Maths puzzles and games. There will also be some live events for schools. Daily MathsWeekTV - Enjoy the best speakers, presentations and activities from the comfort of your own classroom. Maths Week TV will take place each day, from 10-11am for Primary students and 11-12pm for Post-Primary students. Maths Week Posters - We have sent out Maths Week posters to all schools in Ireland, which can be used as a resource to engage your students with Maths. Online Games - Maths Week is developing an online game to teach students Money Maths in a fun video game format. This will be available on our website. Money Sense Activities - In partnership with Ireland State Savings, Maths Week has developed a series of activities to teach students about money management. Find these on our resource page. Maths Eyes Competition - Entries for the Maths Eyes poster competition will open during Maths Week. Submit a photo and tagline of how you see maths in the world - use your Maths Eyes! In-School Activities - There is a variety of resources and activities available on our website.
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What has Ireland Ever Done for Mathematics? |
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For 10 years, Prof Colm Mulcahy has been writing blogs celebrating Irish mathematicians. There are 80 blogs available covering a range of most counties on the island. The most recent blog (July) accounts for over 100 Irish maths/physics graduates, especially those pre-2000, who ended up with careers in the Irish Met Office. Recently Colm gave a presentation to the 50 year celebration of the Irish Mathematical Society titled “What has Ireland Ever Done for Mathematics” detailing many important contributors from all over the island.
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The CCPC is delighted to announce that applications for the 2026 Our Money, Our Future sponsorship programme are now open.
Our Money, Our Future is a Global Money Week-aligned sponsorship programme by the CCPC. It supports post-primary schools and Youthreach centres to develop creative, student-led financial literacy initiatives.
Join a free information webinar on 21 September at 7pm to hear from teachers about their experiences with the programme and get an overview of the application process. |
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IMTA Irish Maths Teachers Association2026 Conference19 September | Tullamore
IMTA is holding its annual conference in the Tullamore Court Hotel. There will be the usual range of keynote speakers, workshops and display stands. Among the speakers is the very popular Craig Barton of MrBartonMaths.com |
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NI Maths Teachers Association2026 Conference26 September | Lisburn
NIMTA is holding its second conference on 26th September in Lisburn, aimed at Post Primary Maths teachers. In addition to the keynote presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to attend two or three workshops (approximately 40-45 minutes each) led by local teachers and educators.
Attendees interested in attending the conference can learn more on the NIMTA Facebook Page. If you have developed your practice or learnt something helpful in recent years, you can also register your interest in leading a workshop. |
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If you would like to share any news, resources, of events with us, or if you have feedback on this newsletter, please email us at mathsweek.wd@setu.ie |
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