With many schools returning today after the Christmas break, the attention of most secondary students and their parents will be fixed on the summer exams.
But the current period is also an important one in the process of planning career and college options. The end of the month marks the CAO deadline for receipt of application forms. Some of the choices made now could have a very significant impact on the 55,000 students due to leave school in June.
The College Choice supplement published with this newspaper today provides a comprehensive guide to the courses which are available at degree, cert and diploma level. In the past decade alone, there has been an explosion in the number of courses on offer; in truth, there is now a super-abundance of choice. The hope is that students think carefully about their choices. The very high drop-out levels at third level suggest that many students are opting for college courses with little planning. Students - and their parents - need to be honest about their aptitudes and their talents. They should not feel under social pressure to pursue one type of course at college when something less prestigious and more practical could suit their needs. Most of all, they should take the time to gather information from current students and from the colleges themselves on the courses they are considering. It is not easy to do this at a time when the thoughts of many Leaving Cert students are on the forthcoming exams, but a small amount of research could help students to avoid potential future difficulties.
In the recent past, school-leavers have found themselves in an enviable position. The economy was booming and there was a dizzying array of employment opportunities. Gaining entry to many college courses also became easier. The declining population has seen fewer students chase vastly more places at third-level. As a result, the points requirements for many courses have tumbled.
Prospects for this year's school-leavers seem more uncertain. The economic downturn will see some employment opportunities being closed off. The severe cutbacks at third-level mean that colleges no longer have the capacity to create additional places as they have done over the past decade. While the supply of student places is contracting, the demand for them remains high. A huge influx of returning emigrants and non-nationals has pushed up the numbers applying to the CAO. At this juncture, it appears that CAO points will stabilise and may even increase for some courses.