Third-level reform will change 'national obsession' with CAO points race, says Harris
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The country's “national obsession” with the Leaving Cert points system will be significantly altered as students are offered new, alternative paths to third-level qualifications.
School leavers, young and old, will be able to begin more than a dozen degree courses outside the CAO points race from next year in areas such as nursing, computer science, engineering, and business, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has announced.
The proposal is aimed at creating alternative pathways to third level without the need to secure high points.
It also aims to forge closer links between further education colleges and universities and reduce student dropout rates.
On Tuesday, Mr Harris outlined 13 new courses that will begin from September 2023 where a student will commence their degree in a further education college before transitioning to a university.
“Today is a massive day of reform in third-level education," he said.
"You've heard me talk many times over the last two years about how we have developed what I think is a bit of a national obsession around ‘points, points points’ in the CAO system.
The initiative also sees the establishment a Unified Tertiary Office, a joint venture between the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the State further education and training agency, Solas, to advance progress in this area.
Mr Harris said this move is not just for teenagers leaving school but also for people later in life who want to access further education.
He said more and more people are going to want to access the education system in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.
“And actually, packing the bags and head off to university for four years might not be an option.
"But being able to go to the local college or further education for a few years, that might actually provide them with options,” he said.
The courses will cover culinary arts, music technology, sustainability, performing arts, computer science, finance, future media production for visual and virtual media platforms, industrial laboratory science, sustainable engineering technologies, business logistics and supply chain management, general nursing, and computing business.
Mr Harris said that while 13 new entry routes represent a tiny fraction of the 1,400 CAO courses, the intention is to grow that number significantly.