Pressure on college resources sees flight of talent

PRESSURE to provide college places for disadvantaged students has triggered an exodus of Ireland’s brightest school-leavers to study abroad, a leading university president has warned.

UCC president Dr Michael Murphy said the price of widening third-level access was the inability of colleges to provide the best education for top students.

He told business leaders in Cork that with economic recovery more dependent than ever on the ingenuity and competence of our young people, resources used to improve third-level access should be diverted to the most talented students.