Educational reform - Why does it take so long Minister?

WHEN he was education minister Noel Dempsey announced plans to review the entry requirements needed to study medicine in one of our five undergraduate medical schools.

A taskforce set up by his department at that time, in 2003, recommended that any student who achieved 450 points in their Leaving Cert should be offered a separate opportunity to establish their suitability or otherwise to study medicine. Through this process aspiring professionals might earn enough credits to get a place.

This is an entirely commendable idea. One that offers an opportunity to suitable candidates to realise their ambitions and one that reduces the overemphasis on academic results of the most demanding kind.