The points system needs urgent reform. It is failing boys, rewarding the well-heeled and letting down the mature higher-education applicant. The system is not capable of meeting the State's future employment needs, argues Dr Seán McDonagh

The points system of admission to full-time higher education, which was introduced when applicants greatly exceeded places, has served Ireland well. It has public acceptance and a perception of fairness. It is administratively extremely convenient - a computer quickly transforms thousands of applications into filled higher-education places. In greatly changed circumstances, however, the system now needs to be reviewed and changed to ensure greater and fairness and effectiveness.

Because more is now known about the points system, concerns need to be raised about its operation. It is based on the Leaving Certificate, which not only attracts considerably more females than males but whose format contributes to females on average outperforming males. The points system also has no regard for the "school effect" in student performance. The system is intended to be competitive, yet with increased places and demographic decline there is no competition for a wide number of courses. The system deals only with full-time education formats. The system encourages too early specialisation.

MALE/FEMALE PERFORMANCE

At 19 years of age in Ireland 67 per cent of females are engaged in full-time education while only 51 per cent of males at that age continue in full-time study. Such is the average out-performance of females in the Leaving Cert that of the CAO high-points (450 plus) acceptors, ie those who took up third-level places, in 2005, 62 per cent were female and 38 per cent were male.

It is difficult to imagine anyone defending these participation rates or the average points gained as actually reflecting the comparative abilities or suitabilities for higher education of young Irish males and females. Yet the points system of admission continues to claim fairness in directly comparing male and female points. Other assessment formats, as illustrated by the SAT and ACT tests in the US, give a quite different male/female profile. It is time to break the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)/Examination Board monopoly of student curriculum and assessment and to add other assessment formats that will measure ability more realistically.

The male/female disparity particularly affects intakes into medical/dental and veterinary courses. Martin Newell, in his original proposal to the Points Commission, and former minister for education Noel Dempsey were absolutely right in suggesting the removal of such courses from the points system and introducing later, more mature postgraduate admission. Removing these courses would not only diminish the distorting affect of such admission on schools' programmes it would, more importantly, ensure more mature entrants with a better balance by sex and social background.

The medically-related courses are not the only ones where specialisation may be occurring too early. The points system encourages the offering of specialist courses. In the system, a specialist discipline with a small intake will have a high cut-off point and thus achieve a comparative "status". There is, however, a strong argument for composite entry to, for example, engineering and sciences with a later student choice of specialised area. Such a choice is likely to be better informed, mature and, importantly, more closely related to future skill opportunities and students' real interest then an immediate post-school choice.

FAIRNESS?

The points system is defended for its fairness. Everyone does the same examination. However we now know that those competing for third-level places may have five or six (repeat or transition) or seven (repeat and transition) years of schooling. The points system pays no attention to the number of years of schooling a candidate has had, which may be unfair to those who can only afford five. Those promoting transition year claim that it increases average Leaving Certificate points for its participants. This claim, which is strongly challengeable, if it is true, would obviously make the points system unfair to those who choose not to or cannot participate in Transition Year.

There is now a deeper understanding of "school effect" on pupils' performance. A UK report, Fair Admission in Higher Education, in 2003 highlighted the effects - positive and negative - on the overall attainment levels of the socio-economic mix in schools. This "school effect" is not taken into account in the points system. Parents instinctively know that it is there. The growth of fee-paying schools raises more strongly the potential effect of such schools on the intended fairness of admission systems.

NO COMPETITION

With the increase in higher-education places and the decline in the school-leaving cohort it is increasingly the case that many courses have vacant places. Competition has ceased or diminished for these courses. Competition was, however, an essential part of the points system. Without it the points admission process sends no "message" to the intending applicant - it gives no incentive or direction in relation to school performance or preparation for success in higher education. There is a strong case for introducing different admission processes which will provide an incentivefor potential applicants through earlier direct interaction with the admitting higher education institution.

The points system was introduced in an Ireland whose workforce numbered half the present Irish workforce. Its total emphasis on full-time formats distracts attention from the desirability of widespread work-and-study and part-time educational formats in Ireland's new economy. About one-quarter of all Irish males now enter apprenticeships and acquire valuable craft qualifications. Although these qualifications are predominantly related to the construction sector, the success in attracting participants illustrates the potential of educational formats other than the conventional full-time higher education ones organised on an academic year basis.

The focus on the points system distracts from the current and future needs of other formats matching the professional development needs of those who are employed or who wish to enter or re-enter the workforce. The points system is geared towards the school-leaver in a State that needing to refocus educational resources on adults. The points system provides progression for school leavers - in contrast no progression process is provided for apprentices.

The Points System, introduced in a different Ireland, has served the country well. In the new Ireland it needs to be revised and amended to ensure its continuing perception of fairness, its relevance and effectiveness. In a more complex Ireland, more diverse, less administratively convenient admission processes are required.

Dr Seán McDonagh, a former director of Dundalk IT, is a member of the Government's Expert Skills Group