Ninth Level Ireland

“UCD students’ union has claimed the competition for higher education has now reached an ‘alarming level’ as entry requirements for a course at the university exceeded 600 points for the first time ever. The minimum entry requirements for economics and finance at University College Dublin (UCD) surpassed 600 points, attracting a cut-off of 601 points …” (more)

[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 16 August]

“About 50,000 applicants received an offer of a college place from the Central Applications Office (CAO) on Thursday afternoon. Here are some of the big trends from this year’s figures. 1. Brexit uncertainty. Uncertainty generated by Brexit seems to have resulted in a significant drop in the points requirements for most courses in the agricultural and food sectors …” (more)

[Brian Mooney, Irish Times, 15 August]

“Universities are not giving any blanket guarantee that students who appeal their exam grades and get a late CAO offer in September are assured a place this year. Colleges say that, depending on the course, they may not be able to accommodate the student in 2019/20 and will ask them to defer for a year …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 16 August]

“Universities handed out a record number of CAO round one offers to meet the growing demand from school-leavers chasing jobs in the economy. They opened more places in courses leading to careers in areas such as Stem and second-level teaching where employers are crying out for graduates …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 16 August]

“For so many students, so much hinges on a mix of chance and the choices of tens of thousands of their peers. This year, 51,513 students received an offer in round one but, for many, CAO points rises – particularly for science, technology, maths and engineering courses – will mean it’s not the course they had hoped for …” (more)

[Peter McGuire, Irish Times, 15 August]

“Points for degrees in science, technology, maths and engineering have jumped as students flock towards courses with strong job prospects. Overall, the number of courses commanding in excess of 500 CAO points has climbed to a new high …” (more)

[CAO round one offers here]
[Carl O’Brien, Peter McGuire and Éanna Ó Caollaí, Irish Times, 15 August]

“CAO points for college entry have crashed the 600-point limit for the first time. In a remarkable development in CAO Round 1, the cut-off points for UCD’s prestigious BSc Economics and Finance has hit 601. In the 33-year history of the CAO, it’s the first course where more than 600 Leaving Cert points were needed to get an offer …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 15 August]

“University College Dublin (UCD) had a higher rate of first-preference applications than Trinity from the CAO’s preliminary stages this year, The University Times has learned. At a meeting of University Council earlier this year, Provost Patrick Prendergast reportedly asked why UCD had a higher rate of first-preference applications than Trinity …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 15 August]

“Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh has denied that the change in awarded Leaving Certificate points has undermined the system. A record number sat higher level papers this year with students likely attracted by changes in the grading system in 2017 allowing candidates who achieve between 30-39% at higher level to earn CAO points …” (more)

[Evie Kearney, Independent, 13 August]

“1. More performing well in higher level papers. The most significant trend evident in this year’s results is a steady increase in the numbers taking higher level papers and performing well in them. This trend is evident across a wide range of subjects, particularly in the core subjects of Irish, English and maths …” (more)

[Brian Mooney, Irish Times, 13 August]

“More than 55,000 Leaving Cert students are set to receive their exam results on Tuesday under a new fast-tracked process which will see college applicants receive their offers before the end of this week. The changes also mean students who appeal their exam grades will receive their results three weeks earlier than normal …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 12 August]

“Speeding up the correcting process for this year’s Leaving Cert means it is unlikely that all quality assurance measures will be completed on time, according to internal State Examinations Commission (SEC) records. The results are being provided earlier than normal on foot of a High Court ruling last year which found that students should be able to take up a college place immediately if they successfully appeal their exam grades …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 5 August]

“Many students think Irish should become an optional subject for the Leaving Cert as a review of senior cycle education uncovers mixed views on keeping Gaeilge compulsory. Parents would also like to see students have the option to focus on five exam subjects instead of seven. Many students believe all subjects should be optional. The finding is included in a review of the existing senior cycle …” (more)

[Jess Casey, BreakingNews.ie, 29 July]

“The growing demand among school-leavers to study a Stem course at college is taking on a green hue. The final breakdown of CAO applications for this year confirms the burgeoning appetite for degrees in science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 9 July]

“Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on recent proposals (details supplied) to grant CAO points for students’ civic activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 11 June]

“With this year’s State examinations almost upon us, and a review of the senior cycle underway, it is perhaps timely to consider how that review should proceed. The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) represents second level teachers as well as teachers in further and adult education and third level lecturers …” (more)

[Seamus Lahart, Irish Times, 3 June]

“CAO courses taken by thousands of school leavers every year are ‘losing their attractiveness’, a new paper warns as it calls for a makeover. The paper, ‘The Future of Undergraduate Technological Higher Education’, says if no remedial action is taken, ‘”it is not impossible that both qualifications will gradually disappear’ …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 6 May]

“The consultation with students and parents as part of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) review of the Leaving Cert, reveals a surprising ignorance on how the exam has been radically transformed, as revised curriculums across a wide range of subjects have been introduced …” (more)

[Irish Times, 1 April]

“Students from disadvantaged schools should receive extra CAO points in recognition of the barriers they face, the president of a school management body has suggested. Paul Fiorentini, president of the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools, said more work is needed to ensure greater equality of access to higher education …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 28 March]

“It was perhaps unclear, on June 23rd, 2016, just how destabilising Britain’s Brexit vote would be to the European economy as a whole. Ireland, as the UK’s nearest neighbour and one of its closest trading partners, is particularly exposed to these destabilising forces. It quickly became clear that myriad sectors of the Irish economy would come under significant strain, especially in the event of a no-deal Brexit …” (more)

[Matthew Murphy, University Times, 20 March]