Pupils of St. Mary’s NS, Carrigaline, balance the books with Minister for Finance
Maths and numbers are part of everyday life and we all need these skills to ensure the future success of our country. This was the message from pupils of St. Mary’s NS, Carrigaline, Co. Cork, who held a Children’s Budget Briefing event, kick-starting Maths Week 2023 with a special guest visitor, the Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath TD. Over 500,000 young people and the public are participating in Maths Week (14th – 22nd October 2023) focused on driving home the benefits of maths and all the opportunities it brings for individuals, society and the economy.
Boys and girls aged 11-12 participated in a workshop in Ms. Róisín O’Sullivan’s 6th Class where they balanced the ‘Children’s Budget’, using their maths skills to decide how they would like the Government’s money to be spent. Maths Week Ireland Co-ordinator Eoin Gill led the exercise. The goal was to determine the children’s views of priority spending areas through discussion and debate and then to fairly and wisely distribute a nominal €100 budget among these areas. They broke into 6 groups or “cabinets” for discussions, allocated their budgets and a collective budget was then decided by the class using their maths skills to create an average from the 6 groups.
The children chose these categories and allocated their budget in the following percentages:
Healthcare
25%
Taking care of people who are sick, elderly or have had an accident, and people who need help and support.
Housing
24%
Providing houses for people to live in / rent and also to help families who don’t have a home.
Education
16%
Providing schools for children and our community. And universities and institutes of technology.
Sport & Community
8%
Sports grounds, gyms, playgrounds and coaching.
Climate & Environment
13%
Providing energy for our homes, power for factories and shops, in a way that also protects our environment.
Childcare
14%
Ensuring young children have places in childcare.
Minister McGrath said, “It was great to see these fantastic young people put their minds into figuring out what a budget is all about, demonstrating great thoughtfulness and social awareness in the process. Our learners of today are our leaders of the future. I was delighted to meet the children and to hear their views on life and living in Ireland today and how Government can support society and the economy through our budgeting process.
“Promoting the value of maths is essential not just for academic pursuits but for fostering critical thinking and problem-solving in every aspect of life. Embracing and emphasising maths and numeracy ensures that we equip future generations with the tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex world. In this Maths Week, it’s important that we all champion maths and its indispensable role in shaping informed, innovative and capable minds.”
Eoin Gill, Maths Week Ireland Co-ordinator said, “Maths Week 2023 is an invitation to discover the great impact of maths on our world. Through partnerships and innovation, and the love of numbers, we aim to cultivate a generation of young people who believe in the limitless power of their own potential.”
Information on Maths Week 2023
Maths Week 2023 is gearing up to captivate minds and spark imaginations from Saturday 14th – Sunday 22nd October, with engaging activities and thought-provoking experiences. Maths Week is a comprehensive, island-wide initiative occurring every October, with activities involving online platforms, schools, and various venues across the island.
Maths Week is sponsored by the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Discover Programme and the Department of Education. The annual event is coordinated by Calmast, the STEM Engagement centre at South-East Technological University (SETU), with the core objective of fostering awareness and a positive attitude towards maths and its practical applications. It is run with more than 50 partner organisations including the universities, institutes of technology, libraries, schools, training colleges and employers.
Talks and events will take place in venues across the island, including those organised by partnering Higher Education Institutes, while pupils and students in thousands of primary and post-primary schools across the island will enjoy maths quizzes and challenges throughout the week.
A wide range of engagement events will take place including ‘Puzzles in the Park’ - in green spaces and public places, helping to bring maths to life for people and families out and about during the week.
‘Maths Week TV’ – an online video platform offering a gateway to the world of numbers for those unable to attend in-person events – is back by popular demand. With captivating content and interactive sessions for schools and the general public, this ensures that everyone can partake in the mathematical extravaganza.
Maths Week is committed to fostering inclusivity, highlighting the benefits that maths and numbers create for all of us in our daily lives. This year’s event is more determined than ever to break down barriers by also bringing the magic of maths to disadvantaged and underserved groups, including working with various community groups and partnering with organisations such as FoodCloud.
The full programme and details of how to get involved are available on the Maths Week website www.mathsweek.ie. Follow @MathsWeek on Facebook, @mathsireland on instagram, @mathsweek on TikTok and @mathsweek and #mathsweek2023 on Twitter.
