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Universities plan to make it simpler for college kids in Northern Eire to go to school within the South by making certain A-levels outcomes translate extra pretty to CAO factors.
The present system is broadly seen as penalising A-level college students by requiring them to have 4 A-levels – certainly one of which have to be maths – to make it attainable to realize most factors.
Below the brand new system, attributable to come into drive for the 2024/2025 tutorial yr topic to settlement by particular person faculties, candidates will be capable to mix A-levels which take two years to realize, with much less superior AS ranges, which take a single yr to finish.
The adjustments have been drawn up by a working group on the request of Universities Eire, which represents universities on each side of the Border. The deliberate adjustments have to be adopted by particular person universities throughout the State, though that is prone to be a formality.
Minister for Additional and Increased Training Simon Harris has confirmed that the adjustments in necessities for Northern Irish college students who select to check in Irish universities will likely be carried out.
“For many who are usually not acquainted with the system, this primarily means will probably be simpler for college kids from Northern Eire to entry schooling right here in Eire,” he stated. “There are different points that we have to work on however I consider this can be a superb step.”
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The proportion of scholars from the North within the Republic dropped to a low degree of about 1 per cent – or about 1,500-1,600 college students – over a interval of a number of years. Final yr it fell additional nonetheless with a 15 per cent drop within the variety of CAO faculty candidates with A-level outcomes from Northern Eire.
At the moment, it’s only attainable to realize the utmost 625 factors by taking 4 A-levels and certainly one of them needs to be maths.
Below the adjustments, A-level candidates will likely be allowed to make use of one of the best three A-levels, together with a fourth A-level or AS-level or prolonged venture. One other mixture could contain two A-levels and two AS-levels. This implies candidates can attain a rating of 600 factors on the premise of those two eventualities, or 625 factors if one of many A-levels is maths.
Prof Pól Ó Dochartaigh, deputy president and registrar at College of Galway, who chaired the Universities Eire working group, stated the adjustments have been important.
“The Oireachtas and Authorities has been asking us methods to improve cross-Border mobility, and a current ESRI [Economic and Social Research Institute] report confirmed the A-level equivalencies have been a handicap to enhanced mobility. These proposals go a protracted strategy to addressing that imbalance and I look ahead to higher mobility throughout the island of Eire,” he stated.
Mr Harris added that the adjustments symbolize one other instance of all-island co-operation within the space of schooling.
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“A shared island and shared future could be constructed via schooling. Training can and have to be the agency foundations on which we construct our shared future,” he stated.
“The relationships between our greater schooling establishments via Universities Eire and bilateral collaborations is robust however we should preserve going. As a result of if we will make this occur, this small island will likely be a outstanding beacon of expertise and alternative.”
Universities Eire contains conventional universities on each side of the Border. Whereas technological universities are usually not a part of the grouping – aside from TU Dublin – they’re understood to be contemplating the proposals.
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