Madam, - Your education correspondents Seán Flynn and John Downes are to be congratulated on highlighting the fact that "first-time Leaving Cert students are losing out to repeat students and students from Northern Ireland" in their attempts to secure places in medicine (August 22nd).
While no one would deny the rights of both categories of students to try and secure places it must be pointed out that these students, repeats in particular , compete for these places under more favourable conditions than the first-timers.
Repeats can drop the demanding and onerous subjects of Irish, English and maths in their repeat Leaving Cert.
The first-timers must take these subjects. Surely this is not a level playing pitch.
On the Points Commission we recommended that all students should acquire basic entry requirements (ie, take Irish, English, maths and a continental language) and their points in the one sitting of the Leaving Cert.
Why should repeats be allowed get basic entry requirements in their first Leaving Cert and their points in their repeat?
This allows them to take up " points friendly" subjects in their repeat Leaving Cert, thereby further narrowing the opportunity for first-timers to achieve places in high-points faculties. Surely that's not fair . - Yours, etc,
JOHN HURLEY, Ferrybridge, Clarina, Co Limerick.