Funding call for third-level study entry

THE Government should invest more money in post Leaving Certificate courses which provide a gateway to third-level education, according a report released yesterday. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) studied the education and training of school leavers between 1982 and 1998 who did not immediately go on to third-level education.

The findings reflect the growth in number and variety of further education courses, particularly those offered by vocational colleges and post Leaving Cert centres in the past decade. These qualifications offer young people a route to accessing higher education courses at university or institute of technology level.

The ESRI research found that over 40% of students who completed the Leaving Certificate between 1992 and 1997 went on to non-third-level full-time education. Half of that number later obtained a qualification from university or institutes of technology.