I am currently investigating second-level education options for my son, who will be leaving primary school next year.
Our closest school is in Northern Ireland, 15 miles away and the next closest is 30 miles away in the Republic. As he will be a day pupil, the journey to and from school will obviously be a factor in my decision on which school he should attend. While both schools have very good reputations, he would graduate from one with A-Levels and from the other with a Leaving Certificate.
Given that I would prefer him to attend third-level education in the Republic, would he have the same opportunities for acceptance to colleges of education or universities with either qualification?
I have heard that it is possible to achieve the top marks available in A-Levels (3As) and still not gain entry into your chosen CAO course.
So is it a level playing field, or does one qualification take precedence over another in the scramble for places? Please could advise me as I want to give him a good second-level education that will open up as many opportunitesup for him as possible.
The question you raise is a very interesting one as it raises the issue of the relative value of the A-level system as opposed to the Irish Leaving Certificate. Up to the current year, a student applying to the CAO for a place on a course in an Irish higher-education institute, presenting A-level qualifications has been awarded 190 points for an A grade at A-level. Given that most students take three A levels this would leave a student holding three As with 570 points. This would have been sufficient for entry into every course except medicine this year, which had to use the random selection system when it came to allocate places to those holding 570 points as there were more students holding 570 points than there were places available.
The present system is changing due to the growing number of students achieving three A grades in the A-level system. This upturn in results may be due to continuous improvement in examination performance on the part of students. There are those who would suggest that there is also an element of grade inflation taking place. Whatever the reason for this trend, it has led many Irish colleges to re-examine the weight they wish to award to A-level results.
The first college to make a change in the current system is Trinity College Dublin, which is reducing the number of points awarded for an A from 190 to 150. The positive side of their decision is that they will accept the results in four subjects, so that a student getting four As at A level will now secure a score of 600 points under the Irish system - which is maximum points.
As most students in Northern Ireland are only taking three A levels, Trinity will accept a single AS level result in a fourth subject taken in the year prior to A level exams as a fourth subject with a maximum point score possible of 60. This will still leave many students with a maximum possible score of 510 in the current year, which is well short of some high-points courses. This is possibly the source of the concerns you have communicated in your question.
It is my understanding that many more of the Irish colleges will look for four A-level qualifications at a maximum score of 150 per subject from 2006.
In the light of this information, I would suggest that if your son has the option of taking four A-level subjects for his final examination in the Northern Ireland school, he will have the same chance of getting a maximum score of 600 points in the CAO system as a student in a school in the Republic who takes six higher-level papers in their Leaving Certificate and who can also score 600 points.
Brian Mooney is president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. E-mail questions to bmooney@irish- times.ie
