Q: How many medicine places are there in Irish colleges? Will there be any knock-on effect from extra demand due to the larger than usual upgrading of Leaving Cert subjects in 1997? Would it be worthwhile concentrating on the RCSI entrance exam? I missed a place in medicine by a few points this year because I was sick and I'm repeating my Leaving Cert for entry in 1998.

- Dublin student

A: A total of 350 medicine places is available across all the colleges, including the Royal College of Surgeons. No, I don't think there will be a knock-on effect because of the Leaving Cert upgrades - the students involved were accommodated in the relevant colleges this autumn and all are not being held over until 1998, as has been the practice before this in faculties with restricted intake.

As regards the RCSI entrance examination 1998, you must pass in six subjects, of which English and maths are compulsory. You can then choose four of the following: another language is compulsory from the group Irish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Afrikaans or Latin; one science is compulsory from chemistry, physics or biology; and the remaining subject from history, geography, classical studies or, for the first time, home economics (social and scientific).

While the curriculum for this exam is based on Leaving Cert subjects of the year in which it is taken, the exam papers are more general and are more like the NUI matriculation exam of the past. However, the examiners are looking at the curriculum with the aim of realigning all subjects closer to the curriculum offered by the Leaving Cert.

This is a scholarship exam and there are five scholarships which consist of total remission of tuition fees plus an additional annual bursary of £1,000 for the full duration of the course. If your choice of subject for the Leaving Cert in 1998 suits the subjects for this exam, you should consider applying by March 31st at an entry fee of £185.

Specimen questions is available from the college at £2 per set. Don't forget that your English from 1997 will not qualify. Perhaps you should also consider applying for the special scholarships (worth £1,500 a year) for those who have outstanding attainments in extra curricular activities, particularly in sports or the arts. Unfortunately repeat students are not eligible for one of the five Leaving Cert scholarships at RCSI.

Q: We are thinking of sending our youngest child to boarding school next year. He is the only one of the family left at home and we feel he misses the company of his older brothers and sisters. He is an outgoing boy but academically could do with a push?

- Kilkenny parents

A: Ask him first and see what his reaction is to the idea. It doesn't seem to me that you have any great reason for sending him because he seems quite balanced, mixes well with his peers. Even if he does need to be encouraged academically, you haven't said he is lazy or has any learning difficulties. You could deal with this through his present school.

Boarding school will involve much greater costs and the unknown factor of how he will react to being away from home. He will have a much stricter regime.

He will certainly miss family, home life and friends. It will take time for him to settle in. To offset this, he will have more peer company than he would at home at present so this will enhance his social skills further. Because he will have set times for study it means he won't be tempted to spend more time looking at TV or talking to friends.

He will certainly benefit from the better than average sporting and extra curricular activities available in most boarding schools. There is no doubt that boarding schools can provide the extra options and a great choice of developmental opportunities such as music, art appreciation, debating etc because they have the extra time available.

Most boarding schools plough back some of their fees into a better pupil-teacher ratio and a greater subject choice, particularly at senior level. You should look carefully at his options in both schools and match them with his own interests.

You could also consider a five-day boarding school for him which will provide him with all these advantages but still he will be secure knowing that he will be home every Friday night.

It seems that your son is happy and doing well at his local school. I wouldn't move him unless he wants to go. From your own point, the change would mean you would have less daily travel but a bigger weekend drive, more costs and perhaps an unhappy boy.

Q: Our child will start school next September and could go to a local two-teacher national school in the country. I wonder if we should consider sending her to the neighbouring town national school?

- Tipperary parent

A: There are obvious advantages in attending the smaller school, such as personal attention, individual learning programmes, perhaps being able to work ahead of her age group in some subjects or going at a slower pace if it suits her.

Classes will invariably be smaller at almost the ideal group size of 15 or so for this age. There is no doubt that she will improve her basic skills here at the rate that suits her best.

The continuity of teaching that she will experience is also an advantage as well as the obvious interaction between children of ages from fourplus to twelve or so. This creates a great sense of community and caring in the early formative years and can only be considered as a bonus.

Any child gains from the experience of being with older and younger children in addition to experiencing firsthand what more independent capable children of the same age can do. It provides a great sense of one's own self worth and centrality to a community by being in such a small school.

Of course, expertise is necessarily restricted in a school with only two teachers. It's most unlikely that the two teachers would have all the skills that you might like your child to learn such as artistic, linguistic, musical, sports etc. However, it should be easy to ensure that any shortfalls are taken care of such as extra help with games etc.

If you decide on the town school, you will most likely have class sizes of 35 or more, with a different teacher each year and a much more formal link between pupils, parents and teachers. The child will not feel as much part of a small community, which can be much more informal and caring. You would also have to use some form of transport if you select the town school whereas she could easily walk to the local school.

Questions can be answered only through this column and not by phone or post. Write to Sile Sheehy, Education & Living, The Irish Times, D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 - or by email to education@irish-times.ie