Secret Teacher: The CAO is not the only route to take after school

We have the highest rates of progression to university in Europe, but we also have unacceptable levels of dropouts

Many students in Ireland decided against the CAO system this year.

My eight-year-old daughter is brave. She shows it in small ways. Like last week, when I told her she could have a magazine and a treat in the shop. Her younger sister sprinted to the kids’ section, grabbing some tat with free plastic within seconds. She stood back, scanning the shelf. Then she walked away, selecting a modest packet of crisps by the till.

‘I just want these.’