A RADICAL transformation of the CAO college admission system is proposed in a new report due to be published today.
The report – being considered by Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn – suggests places in third-level education could be allocated in a more targeted way – matching students to courses after they reach a certain academic threshold.
At present, the CAO points system produces a numerical score for students based on their Leaving Cert and this determines whether they can be accepted on a programme.
Under the new proposal, all candidates over a less restrictive points threshold would be eligible for entry to the university course in question. This is one of the key recommendations in the report.
The report signals that places could be allocated either through a general lottery or via a new system where students gain preferential access to courses which best suit their skills set.
Under this “weighted” system, students with high Leaving Cert scores in science, for example, might be given preference on science courses. Equally, students with good scores in business subjects in the Leaving Cert would get preference on business courses at third level.
The report from former UCC vice-president Dr Áine Hyland says the points race is damaging second level education. A less restrictive college admissions system would help deliver a more holistic education at second level. It could also end a practice whereby CAO points are determined by the popularity of the course rather than its academic standard.
The report admits some Leaving Cert subjects – notably higher-level maths – are more difficult than others. It says students opt for subjects that are seen as “easier” to amass the points they need for college instead of taking those that best match their skills set.
The new report is highly critical of the distorting or “backwash” effect of the Leaving Cert on third-level colleges. It acknowledges how many students – weaned on rote learning in the Leaving Cert – come to college without a strong capacity for critical thinking or independent learning. In this way, it echoes the views of university presidents and employers about the failings of the exam.
The Hyland Report for the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) will play a major role in bringing about changes to both the Leaving Cert and the CAO system which have been signalled by Mr Quinn.
It is the first detailed review of the points system since the Points Commission in 1999. As a member of the commission, Dr Hyland recommended little or no change in 1999.
Today, she says the need for change is urgent because of the skills deficit of some students in third level. She also highlights the urgent need to boost student interest in science, technology and related courses.
In her new report, she is highly critical of the replication of courses across the third-level system. In engineering, for example, there are 132 courses in 22 different third-level colleges; in teaching there are 42 courses in 21 different colleges. Partly as a result, the CAO is now offering more than 1,200 courses compared to fewer than 400 in 1991.
The report will be published ahead of a major conference on the transition from second to third level later this month. The conference has been organised by the NCCA and the Higher Education Authority in conjunction with Mr Quinn.
A second report – prepared for this conference – is also expected to propose radical changes to the points system. It is being finalised by Dr Tom Collins, former head of education at NUI Maynooth, at the request of the university heads.
