Students reach the critical point
As close to 78,000 people who have applied for places on third level courses this year will testify, the system operated by the Central Applications Office (CAO) on behalf of more than 40 colleges places a fair level of pressure on students and families as they await news on their chosen course.
None more so than those 44,669 who sat the Leaving Certificate just two months ago and are finding out today if they have been offered the chance to study one of the degree or diploma programmes listed on their CAO form way back in February.
While almost 7,300 people have already accepted a place, out of 9,300 made an offer in July or earlier this month, the agony for schoolleavers is understandable, as their future direction hangs on the outcome of the process conducted by college admissions officers along with CAO staff over the past few days. The earlier rounds of offers are generally made to applicants who might need to make visa or other arrangements to take up a place, who deferred a place last year or have applied as mature applicants for a selection of courses, with certain numbers of places set aside for older students.
Education Minister and Tánaiste Mary Coughlan last week ruled out any major reform of the system, saying it had previously been deemed the most fair and transparent available system that would be publicly acceptable by the report of the Points Commission back in 1999.
In the intervening decade, numbers taking up college courses through the CAO have risen by 25% from almost 37,000 to 45,500 last year and it is expected that third level institutions will approve a slight increase in numbers this year to satisfy at least some of the rising demand for higher education.
The 4% rise in CAO applicants is accounted for mostly by increasing numbers of mature students (those aged over 23 make up 14,696 or 19% of those seeking places this year). But statistics from recent years continually show that Leaving Certificate students are being allocated a higher proportion of places than they represent among overall applicants. This may be little comfort to those who had to wait until today to find out if their results were good enough to gain entry to one of their preferred options.
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) will publish material later this year giving details of some of the stress caused by preparations for the Leaving Certificate, with indications that close on half of girls are losing sleep with worry about the exams during their final year in school. Prof Tom Collins, chair of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) which commissioned the wider study from which these findings have emerged, is seeking consideration of other criteria that colleges might use, in addition to Leaving Certificate grades. He acknowledges the CAO system is efficient and extremely resource-light for colleges but believes the pressure it puts on schools to simply help students regurgitate facts and figures for final exams, is a factor behind third level chiefs complaining that undergraduates being incapable of critical thinking and self-directed learning.
His views have been backed by the second level principals’ body, the NAPD, whose director Clive Byrne described third level colleges as being the dog that wags the second level schools ‘tail’ and restricts the ability of teachers to give the meaningful holistic education students need and deserve.
While the ability of the higher education system to cater for increasing numbers gets more restricted, competition for college places may well increase in the coming years unless funding increases are given to colleges, either directly from the Government or through some form of student contribution, as is expected to be recommended in a report to Ms Coughlan this month.
Whatever emerges, it may well be that those students checking for CAO offers will feel lucky compared to those facing the pressur of seeking college entry in the next five to 10 years.
But the message for those disappointed not to be offered a place on their top preference degree or diploma programme today is that their ambitions should not be too restricted. Every year, the chances to progress from a range of courses outside the CAO system into third level are growing, and training opportunities in other sectors can offer equally rewarding career paths.
The further education sector, mostly operated through colleges run by the city and county Vocational Education Committees (VECs), are increasingly recognised as the best first step on an alternative route into higher education. But they also offer a chance of education for a range of skills very often tailored to the needs of local and regional employers.
While much of the construction-related economic demise has led to a downturn in apprenticeships, many trades are still seeking new entrants and FÁS can offer a wealth of information on how to access these schemes or many other training courses.
The points system may well be highly pressurised but, whether it is changed in five years or remains in place for another century, the ambition of people to progress their skills and qualifications will be the main driver for a long time.
