Should mature students be allowed to go to college? – The Irish Times – Fri, Jan 15, 2010 And so on and on, like a broken record. It’s very unattractive but there you are. Leaving Certificate mothers cannot help parroting phrases that have been handed down from previous generations, no more than they can help sticking chemistry tables and quotes from Shakespeare on to the fridge, or regaling the candidate with tales of excellence – the 13-year-old admitted to Cambridge and so on. Our guard may have been down for a while. Statistically speaking the class of 2010 had been in line for a reasonably easy run. After more than a decade of falling points and expanding career options, all signs were that getting into a reasonably fulfilling college course would be just a matter of... Similar posts

Career experts say 2010 could see a reversal of a decade-long pattern, where points for most courses slumped dramatically so says today's Irish Times.Career experts say other factors are putting upward pressure on CAO point levels.These include: * the record number of mature students (more than 12,000) seeking college places this year because of the economic downturn; * the surge in the number of Leaving Certificate students after years of decline, up by an estimated 2,000; * new social welfare rules whereby those on jobseeker’s allowances risk the loss of benefit unless they are in education or training......Continue reading in the Irish Times... Similar posts

THOUSANDS of students will be bitterly disappointed today as they discover that points have risen for 550 college courses according to todays Irish Independent... A record number of applicants has pushed up CAO points virtually across the board this year. The increase will hit students with around 350 points in particular. They would previously have hoped they had enough points to get into their top choice in today’s first round of offers. Popular courses such as nursing and teaching – regarded as passports to secure jobs – are all harder to get into this year. Science has unexpectedly rocketed by up to 85 points, while entry to arts courses is up in most cases. And the introduction of a controversial aptitude test for medicine this year has thrown up... Similar posts

Todays headline in the Irish Independent on the eve of the Leaving Cert ExamsA RECORD number of applications for college places has hit hopes of a dramatic fall in entry points for major courses.A total of 68,300 students are chasing about 40,000 places in the autumn, according to new figures from the Central Applications Office (CAO).The figures were disclosed as more than 50,000 students prepare to sit their Leaving Certificate examinations on Wednesday.The final total will represent an increase of 2,500 on last year and will sharpen competition for some high-points courses such as law, medicine and dentistry.The numbers taking the Leaving are up by more than 1,000 on last year and most have applied to the CAO for college places.Apart from more Leaving Cert applicants, there are also... Similar posts