Thoughts turn to CAO offers as third-level entry debate continues
Just under 45,500 of this year’s record 77,628 people who have submitted course choices to the Central Applications Office (CAO) sat the Leaving Certificate in June. The CAO will work with admissions officers from third-level colleges over the coming days as debate continues over the merits of reliance solely on exam results for entry to higher education.
National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) director Clive Byrne urged students to bask in their achievements, however, rather than be influenced by the pressures of recessionary talk, graduate unemployment and third-level points.
He backed calls for colleges to reconsider how they choose entrants.
“It’s a case of the third level tail wagging the second level dog and we need to decouple the final school certification from third level entry. We’ve become complacent. Our present system, although enjoying wide- spread support, doesn’t encourage independent learning, self-direction and creativity,” Mr Byrne said.
But with growing demand for places in colleges who are experiencing stretched resources because of budgetary and staffing restrictions, the Union of Students in Ireland is urging third level bosses to increase the number of places on the most popular courses as school leavers compete with a fast-rising proportion of college applicants from among the unemployed and older people seeking to return to education.
Almost 12,500 people getting results have not applied for college places through the CAO but the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said that the cap imposed by the Department of Education on places in Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses will make it difficult for some students to get their choice of programme.
“It’s time for the Government to lift this cap to allow all students to further their education. Economically, savings in social welfare payments to potential students would greatly offset the cost of doing so,” said TUI president Bernie Ruane.
Irish Vocational Education Association general secretary Michael Moriarty said PLC courses offered by city and county Vocational Education Committees (VECs) have been put in place with the skill needs of industry and commerce in mind. “In every corner of Ireland, there are successful businesses that owe their origins to the work-related skills acquired through a PLC course in their local VEC school or college.”
