6,000 students fail to choose course

Cuts to career guidance in schools have been linked to a sharp rise in the number of college hopefuls failing to list any courses on their CAO applications.

Central Applications Office figures show the number of applicants who did not select any courses on their forms up to the main February 1 deadline has jumped from 4,783 to 6,015 out of a record 74,424 to register for college entry so far this year.

While applicants can add courses or change their order or preference up to July 1, Institute of Guidance Counsellors president Betty McLaughlin said the latest increase — up from 6% of students a year ago to 8% now — follows a worrying trend emerging since 2012.

“A big factor is the lack of availability of guidance counsellors in schools, and getting that one-to-one advice. It’s obviously an indication they’re not sure, that they feel unprepared to fill it in yet.

“It’s putting extra pressure on students, because not only are they worried about the Leaving Cert; now more and more they’re not even putting in their courses until late on, whereas before the change-of-mind facility was only used to add in extra courses, usually after doing their exams,” she said.

Of 78,000 CAO applications up to May last year, 44,000 were from Leaving Certificate students.

Preliminary CAO data shows there are 1,000 more applicants seeking places in third-level colleges than this time last year, with arts and business the most popular.

Some of the biggest rises in demand have been for courses in engineering, architecture, and law, among the 63,130 who listed courses from among more than 900 level 8 honours degrees open this year.

However, Ms McLaughlin said it is no coincidence that the numbers who do not put any courses into their initial CAO application have risen since 2012, when the Department of Education removed the ring-fencing of full-time guidance counsellor jobs in every second-level school with more than 500 students.

“It reflects the fact there’s a huge drop in guidance and counselling in schools,” she said. “Our own audit has found that one-in-five schools are not now offering any one-to-one guidance, because the counsellors are teaching classes their entire timetable hours.”

Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan acknowledged issues associated with reduced guidance provision in many schools at the Dáil Education Committee last week.

“There are many demands on the education sector, in terms of when we have more money, what are we going to do with it?” she said.

Fianna Fáil education spokesman Charlie McConalogue said the CAO figures show the issue needs be treated more urgently.

“The worrying thing is that there are many other services which guidance counsellors provide to students on a one-to-one basis, particularly in terms of mental health and guidance around difficulties they may be having, but which are not so measurable,” he said.

“These figures emphasise the impact of the cuts and the need for a full guidance service to be reinstated, which is our party policy.”

Other trends in the figures released today include:

• Arts/social science: 14,641 first preferences (down 3%);
• Business/administration: 10,053 (up 4%);
• Science/applied science: 8,282 (down 3%);
• Engineering/technology: 6,384 (up 9%).