Students unaware of third-level restrictions under the LCA programme

HUNDREDS of teenagers could be missing out on the chance of a higher education each year because they are not told the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme they take restricts their access to college.

A study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on experiences of the LCA was largely positive about its role in helping to keep potential early school leavers from dropping out of education.

Around 3,400 people completed the alternative to the traditional exam- based Leaving Certificate this year, with credits awarded for completion of various modules over the course’s two-year duration.