“Recession has sparked a sharp rise in the number of Northern Ireland school-leavers seeking a place in university, it was revealed today. With much of the world’s economy in reverse and jobs ever harder to come by, applications to universities are provisionally up some seven per cent this year, according to Employment and Learning Minister Sir Reg Empey. It was ‘a significant increase’ given that half of school leavers in Northern Ireland already go to university — more than in the rest of the UK – the minister said …” (more)
[Irish Times, 19 August]