Second academic quits Leaving Cert maths reform over accuracy concerns

Dr. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, an associate professor of mathematics education at Dublin City University, has resigned from the group developing the new Leaving Certificate mathematics curriculum, stating she could not stand over a document she described as incoherent and mathematically inaccurate. Her departure, announced on September 1, 2026, marks the second resignation from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) Mathematics Development Group, following Professor Pauline Mellon's exit in January over similar concerns. Dr. Ní Shúilleabháin said the proposed curriculum would do a disservice to students and fail to prepare them for future study and work in a data-driven, AI-integrated world. She criticized the development process, asserting that subject experts are not formally or consistently included in curriculum design groups. "If I had trust that after the public consultation, fundamental changes could be made to this curriculum and errors corrected and the content made coherent, I would have stayed. But I do not trust that that is the process," she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.