Ninth Level Ireland

“The provost of Trinity College Dublin has said new students may end up starting college ‘slightly later’ this year on foot of disruption to education linked to the coronavirus pandemic. In a video message to students, Dr Patrick Prendergast reassured secondary students hoping to study at Trinity that it will welcome new students in the autumn …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 26 March]

“Provost Patrick Prendergast has admitted Trinity will take a ‘financial hit’ as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but insisted College ‘won’t let our mission in education, research and innovation be derailed’ …” (more)

[Alex Connolly, University Times, 26 March]

“Trinity Provost Professor Patrick Prendergast has reassured Leaving Cert students that they will be starting college in the autumn. ‘It might be slightly later than in previous years. It might be under slightly-adjusted criteria. But we will be welcoming you’, he said. His comments reflect the ongoing uncertainty over the ongoing impact of the coronavirus crisis on the education system, with schools already not due to re-open until April 20 at the earliest …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 26 March]

“Sir, – The decision by the Department of Education to award full marks for oral and practical components of Leaving Certificate examinations is ill-judged at least and reckless at most …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 21 March]

“Thousands of school-leavers are choosing careers in science and the environment this year, according to the latest Central Applications Office (CAO) application trends. These figures back-up reports of a surge in interest among Leaving Cert students in careers linked to tackling climate change and promoting sustainability …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 10 March]

“Almost 73,000 applications for third-level courses were received by the CAO (Central Applications Office) by its 1 February closing date, a figure that is on a par with last year’s data. The number of students applying to study nursing or midwifery has declined this year by 8%, while numbers wishing to train as second-level teachers has risen by 10% …” (more)

[Emma O Kelly, RTÉ News, 10 March]

“A total of 72,973 applications were received by the Central Applications Office (CAO) by the due date of 1 February this year, a decrease of 61 on last year. Of this number, 7,273 applications came from students who were over 23 years of age – down 560 (-7.1%) applications from last year …” (more)

[The Journal.ie, 10 March]

“A new CAO system that would allow school leavers to apply for both university and further education courses is under consideration by the Department of Education. The proposal is contained in a draft departmental consultation paper, seen by The Irish Times, which acknowledges criticism that too many students are choosing higher education over options such as apprenticeships and further education courses …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 9 March]

“It’s CAO season and tens of thousands of school-leavers are choosing their higher education courses. Chances are that most will never stop to think about apprenticeships, traineeships or post-Leaving Cert courses as options. That’s partly because they don’t feature in the CAO system, which is operated by universities and institutes of technology …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 9 March]

“There is no evidence fee-paying schools do better than others in maximising the academic performance of students, according to new research. The finding is contained in an academic paper, ‘Good Schools or Good Students? The Importance of Selectivity for School Rankings’, by a team of researchers at Maynooth University …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 5 March]

“An unpublished study on the impact of bonus points for students who answer the Leaving Cert through Irish has questioned the fairness of the measure. Under rules that date back to the mid-1920s, any student who answers a written exam in Irish may receive bonus marks of up to 10%, depending on the subject …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 10 February]

“Sir, – ‘Feeder school’ lists (Feeder Schools 2019, December 3rd) promote a distorted view that educational success is dependent on students securing places on third-level courses that require high points. They also suggest that immediate progress to third level is the only choice worth valuing and recognising …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 4 December]

“Click here to download the full 2019 Feeder School tables. Pupils emerging from private schools are keeping a strong grip on the most sought-after third-level courses, despite millions being spent on narrowing the class gap in education …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Peter McGuire and Éanna Ó Caollaí, Irish Times, 3 December]

“A private school has sparked controversy by introducing a new programme that it says allows students to cover large sections of the Leaving Cert curriculum over three years. The policy of the Department of Education is that the Leaving Certificate programme should be taught over a maximum of two years …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 25 November]

“My child eventually started college – three weeks late – after being upgraded in the Leaving Cert and securing his first-choice course. What’s wrong with the correction process that leads to children having to appeal to secure grades they are entitled to? …” (more)

[Brian Mooney, Irish Times, 12 November]

“Sir, – The recently published Higher Education Authority (HEA) report on socioeconomic and spatial differences in third-level education (as reported in Carl O’Brien’s article ‘Wealthy students more likely to study high-points courses’, News, October 21st) draws attention to the role that parental income and where you live may play in higher education choices in Ireland. However, a deeper understanding of these relationships is needed …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 28 October]

“Sir, – I must disagree with the head of examinations and assessment in the State Examination Committee, Tim Desmond, in recommending that ‘the CAO system changes significantly, to move the pressure point from the end of senior cycle to the end of first year in third-level institutions’ …” (more)

[Marion Dunne, Irish Times, 28 October]

“Sir, – That students from affluent backgrounds are more likely to study ‘high points’ courses should come as little surprise to anybody (News, October 21st). However, the findings of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) report make clear the need for significant additional, targeted investment across all levels of education to afford students an equal opportunity to fulfil their own potential, irrespective of their postal address …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 24 October]

“The ‘relentless pursuit of CAO points’ is having an extreme influence on how students are engaging with teaching and learning, according to a senior State Examinations Commission official. Tim Desmond, head of examination and assessment, said moves by higher-education institutions to develop more specialised courses is intensifying the points race and inflating the public’s perception of certain courses …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 24 October]

“Affluent students are far more likely to study high-points courses in university and earn more within months of graduating than those from less well-off backgrounds, a new study finds. Medicine, dentistry, finance and engineering courses attract the highest proportions of well-off students from the wealthiest parts of the country, according to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) research …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 21 October]