The CAO system must change to “better serve” students, the association for Irish school principals has warned.
Tough competition this year meant students applying for more than 23 courses across the country faced a lottery system to secure their place.
It meant that students who achieved up to 625 points to qualify for the likes of dentistry in Trinity or economics and finance in UCD were not guaranteed a place.
Grade inflation has been a concern this year, with Leaving Cert 2024 students receiving grades that are, on average, 7.5% higher than those of last year’s cohort.
On The Pat Kenny Show today, National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) Director Paul Crone said the CAO system needs to change.
“Our difficulty with the CAO system is that students are not served best by the current process, by which the points are the sole means by which they're allocated places in higher education,” he said.
“We've heard a lot recently about lotteries and random selection and grade inflation and all of that.
“At the centre of it, there are students that are left without their place, without knowing which way they're going forward - and it's very impersonal.”
School information
Mr Crone said schools collect lots of information on students that would be valuable in allocating third-level places.
“For example, when a student moves from primary to secondary school, they come with their passport, which has all of their information on their academic performance, aptitudes, interests and all of that,” he said.
“When they come to secondary school, we do cognitive aptitude testing at the start, which helps us to track them academically, their strengths and their weaknesses.
“Then in fifth year, they do differential aptitude tests, which are DATS exams helping the students find out information about the type of learner that they are, their abilities, their strengths, weaknesses and none of that is taken into consideration.”
October 19, 2007: National University Of Ireland (Nui Galway), Galway, Co Galway, Ireland; University Established In The 19Th Century (Credit Image: © The Irish Image Collection/Design Pics via ZUMA Wire)He thinks the current system is flawed in other areas too.
“The outside influence is the gaming of the system through the grinds culture and people who are not focusing on the holistic element of education, but rather just teaching to the exam,” he said.
“There are tips and tricks to get a better result.”
System change
Mr Crone is hopeful the system will change in the future.
“I’m always optimistic and hopeful, but it won't change unless people come out and call it out,” he said.
“That’s what I’m doing in the hope that there will be meaningful engagement for it to change.”
The CAO issued 83,369 offers last month, with 56% of applicants receiving their first preference course and 83% securing one of their top three choices.
You can listen back here:
Main image: The inner courtyard on the campus of Trinity College Dublin is seen in February 2008. Picture by: mauritius images GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo
