The ASTI yesterday called for immediate research into the cause of high failure rates in science subjects in this year's Leaving Certificate. It rejected claims that its members' industrial action was to blame.
ASTI president Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick said the failure rates in science subjects and ordinary-level maths were a cause of concern among second-level teachers.
She urged the Department of Education to fund research into the cause of the low grades.
"The ASTI has been calling for a review of these subjects for many years in order to make them more relevant and attractive to second-level students. We have also argued that overcrowded classes and lack of resources militate against the teaching and learning of science and maths," she said.
"However, there may be additional factors which contribute to the low levels of achievement by some students in these subject areas."
More than 22 per cent of this year's students failed ordinary-level biology, one of the highest failure rates recorded for any subject in State examinations. The failure rate in ordinary-level physics was 13 per cent, and more than 10 per cent failed ordinary-level chemistry. This has resulted in a drop in the points required for third-level science and computer courses.
The number of students taking science subjects in the Leaving Cert also showed a downward trend this year.
Mr Michael Creed TD, Fine Gael's spokesman on education, described the low grades as worrying. "If rapid action is not taken we could be facing a serious shortfall of high-skilled science and technology graduates in the near future," he said.
He accused the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, of failing to sit up and take notice of the steady decline in the number of students taking science subjects.
"Despite an excellent report by the joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Science last year, the Minister has put this issue on the back burner."
The joint Oireachtas committee report blamed the Department for the crisis in science education. It said the Department's continuing failure to introduce any practical element in exams "kills off the excitement of science". It was also dissatisfied with the Department's approach to equipping schools for science subjects.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said the Minister had voiced his concerns about the uptake of science subjects and student performance in them, and had established a task force last October to look at the issue, which was expected to produce an interim report shortly.
She said important measures had already been introduced by Dr Woods, including a £12 million programme of investment to modernise school science laboratories and a £3 million in-service programme for teachers of chemistry and physics.