“Is it wise to stay with the CAO choices I made in January given the downturn? The Government may be on the cusp of deciding to introduce fees for third-level courses, and now some students and their parents are asking themselves whether it is worth putting their money into higher education when there are few jobs. I have no doubt that this question has been raised in each of the 68,000 homes throughout the State where a family member has applied to the CAO earlier this year. The harsh experience of some young graduates, who started their careers working in areas hit by the downturn is sending a very powerful message to the class of 2009, regarding the long-term benefit of investing hard cash or taking on a long-term debt to secure a third-level qualification. Why study at school or college, when your 28-year-old sister, who has a law degree and has been a qualified solicitor for three years, is now sitting at home questioning whether she will ever work again? …” (more)
[Brian Mooney, Irish Times, 7 April]