Third-level reform will change 'national obsession' with CAO points race, says Harris

From September 2023, there will be 13 new courses, where a student will commence a degree in a further education college before transitioning to a university.

The country's “national obsession” with the Leaving Cert points system will be significantly altered as students are offered new, alternative paths to third-level qualifications.

School leavers, young and old, will be able to begin more than a dozen degree courses outside the CAO points race from next year in areas such as nursing, computer science, engineering, and business, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has announced.