High-end courses set for points rise after record results

RECORD numbers of students with top Leaving Certificate points mean many high-end college courses could be tougher to get into than last year.

Almost 50,000 people are likely to be offered third level places on Monday but figures seen by the Irish Examiner show the number of school leavers with at least 450 out of a maximum 600 points has passed 10,000 for the first time. They represent almost 19% of all 54,341 who sat the Leaving Certificate this year, which does not include those who sat the Leaving Certificate Applied programme.

That exceeds the performance of any other group since the Central Applications Office (CAO) started using the current points system in the early 1990s, while the 8.8% (almost 4,800 students) with 500 points or more and the 2.8% (1,522 students) on at least 550 points are also record highs.

The figures — based on State Examinations Commission data provided to the CAO — give a better insight than narrower statistics available earlier in the week which suggested no significant changes in points as there was a very similar proportion of honours grades to last year awarded on higher level exams.

Almost 44,800 of this year’s school leavers who got their results yesterday have applied to the CAO, which is working with college admissions officers to formulate offers that will be available online from 6am on Monday.

While caution is advised against speculation about the likely effect of exam performance on overall points patterns, a similar rise in students’ Leaving Certificate results last year helped to push up the first round points requirements for hundreds of degree courses, as much as 15 points for around 250 courses.

But it will be Monday morning before the points will be known, and other factors are also key, such as the number of places available and the Leaving Certificate results of all applicants for each individual course. Earlier statistics from the CAO showed demand is up for honours bachelor (level 8) degrees in science, engineering and nursing, but fewer students marked teaching and business programmes as their first preferences.

The continuing rise in students getting top results in Leaving Certificate exams has fuelled further suggestions of grade inflation. But Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said yesterday that he has been assured by the State Examinations Commission that there has not been the kind of grade inflation in the last decade that was seen in the 1990s.

The improving grades of school leavers have previously been attributed to a number of factors, including changes to curriculum, better student preparation for exams and professional development for teachers.

While students have notified their course choices to the CAO since earlier in the summer, business leaders reminded school leavers yesterday to think carefully about areas of potential employment growth, as work is no longer as guaranteed as it was in previous years with any degree.

“Expected growth areas are not just limited to the fields of maths and science. Despite the recession, jobs continue to arise,” said Chambers Ireland chief executive Ian Talbot.

He said there were more vacancies in the first quarter of this year than the same period in 2010, with many jobs in clerical, sales and service occupations, as well as in ICT engineering healthcare, finance and customer care.

Mr Talbot also called on Mr Quinn to reconsider his view that a student loan scheme should not be introduced, allowing degree holders study without up-front fees but to pay back part or all of the cost after they start earning, as the annual €500 million funding gap in the higher education system has to be bridged.

The minister has said he will see what options are suggested in a report due from the Higher Education Authority in the autumn.

The National Parents Council-Post Primary Leaving Certificate helpline (1800 265 165) remains open until 7pm, from 10am to 3pm tomorrow and again from 8am to 7pm on Monday and Tuesday.