Education Minister O'Sullivan: Leaving Cert 'a fair exam' as 57,000 get results
Schools around the country are releasing results to almost 57,000 Leaving Cert students.
Figures from the State Examinations Commission show the number sitting Honours maths is at its highest ever with more than 14,000 taking the paper this year.
Some 10% of those students earned an A grade, a drop of one point on 2013.
However the failure rate in some maths and science subjects is also on the rise.
Some 10% of students taking ordinary level physics achieved an E, F or NG grade. The figure for honours is 8%.
In chemistry, 15% of students failed the ordinary level paper, while 9% did not pass the higher level.
Education Minister Jan O'Sullivan said the Leaving Cert was a "fair" exam "that does give positive results for those that have the various levels of ability".
Meamwhile, the National Parents Council urged concerned students and their parents to call their helpline.
Their post primary division has guidance counsellors on hand who can be contacted on 1800 265 165.
Last year they took around 4,000 calls.
PRO Lynda O'Shea said: "Some students are unsure of how to calculate their points and where they go from here…Guidance counsellors are on hand to answer any queries."
