Colleges under fire over points reform delay

A university leader has criticised other colleges for lack of progress in introducing one of the key reforms to reduce pressure on Leaving Certificate students to get top grades for third-level access.

For another successive year, points needed for hundreds of courses offering places through the Central Applications Office rose yesterday, although the increases for around half those with higher standards were in five to 10 points.

UCD’s deputy president, Mark Rogers, questioned the validity of having hundreds of CAO entry codes for level 8 courses, pointing to the fact that nearly 1,000 such degrees are now open for applications at 44 colleges, over twice the number in 2002.

“By comparison, in the past three years, UCD has reduced its CAO routes for school leavers from 56 to 45, and I believe this could be further reduced,” said Prof Rogers. “By broadening the entry routes and reducing the number of CAO codes, we are being fairer to a wider number of students.”

In contrast, Trinity College Dublin has 237 degree codes, as most arts and humanities applicants must choose their subjects when applying to the CAO, unlike other university arts programmes that allow students choose subjects after entry.

With limits on numbers admitted for each of those TCD codes, many combinations require students to have had at least 550 out of a maximum 625 points.

All applicants who secured a place in a degree with English literature and another subject needed a minimum 525 points, or at least 570 for any combination of psychology and another subject.

As revealed by the Irish Examiner in February, most universities have increased or only barely reduced degree numbers since 2011, when serious discussion about cutting course numbers began.

However, TCD is also piloting an entry selection system likely to be recommended in some variation to all universities, using two other criteria in addition to Leaving Certificate results. It gave 25 out of around 150 places on three degrees — history, law, and ancient and medieval history and culture — to students through the scheme, which attracted 270 applicants.

With a combination of scores from anonymous personal statements and a mark based on how their CAO points rank them against other Leaving Certificate students at their own schools, some have been offered places with as much as 150 points fewer than the lowest score of any student admitted solely on their exam results.

The outcome of the initiative will be considered as part of a series of wider reforms being considered by a task group of the Irish Universities Association, including reduced degree numbers. However, it will most likely be at least 2017 before any changes across the university sector take effect.

Also being considered is the expansion of bonus points to subjects other than maths, for which 25 extra points are given to CAO applicants who pass it at higher level since 2012.

However, the IUA group is leaning towards a recommendation that any such points would only be given when ranking students for entry to courses related to the subject.