Sir, – Carl O’Brien reports on a UCD study that “Fee-charging schools do not greatly enhance students’ chances of securing high CAO points” (Education, February 15th). Yet “grind schools” thrive! The CAO points achievement of their pupils is their only selling point. Their fees are typically twice the average of normal fee-paying schools.
But where might the true enhancement of students’ prospects really lie? The subsequent third-level performance of students with equal CAO points at entry shows that students from fee-paying schools have significantly higher rates of completion, better by more than 7 percentage points over non-fee-paying schools and grind schools!
That’s according to the Higher Education Authority Devereaux report of May 2020, which goes on to say, “... the best outcomes (are) in fee-paying schools, then non-fee-paying schools, then community and comprehensive schools, then vocational and community colleges, and the worst outcomes are for students who attend grind schools”.
A conclusion might be that education excellence is more about whole-person preparedness for life’s challenges than about maximising CAO points. Schools combining academic performance with strong character development could be offering much greater benefits to their students, especially in the longer term. – Is mise,
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MÁIRTÍN Ó DROMA,
Board of Management,
Rockbrook Park School,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.