Students who apply through the CAO for courses which are later withdrawn due to lack of approval by the National Council for Educational Awards are being treated unfairly, according to Mr Seamus Puirseil, the NCEA acting director. "I understand the difficulties facing colleges, but I would be critical of colleges which list courses [in the CAO Handbook] and fail to make it clear that they don't have full approval," he told The Irish Times. "Students should be told that courses have yet to be validated."
The NCEA is the State agency responsible for the approval of courses in the institutes of technology and other third-level colleges, including a number of private colleges outside the university sector. Information supplied by the CAO showed that no offers were made on up to 15 certificate, diploma and degree courses, leaving many students disappointed. At LSB College in Dublin, a degree course in business and computing, which was awaiting NCEA approval, had to be cancelled at the last minute.
Mr Puirseil explained that approving a course was a lengthy process taking up to six months, if no changes are required. "If we require changes then it will take longer. We don't approve every course submitted to us. We have an important quality assurance role in higher education. We have an obligation to our students and to the public to ensure that standards are maintained."
According to Mr Puirseil, the NCEA required a resubmission of the LSB course proposal last May and an expert panel visited the college on June 2nd. "We have dealt with the matter expeditiously," he said.
A number of educators and parents have contacted The Irish Times to complain that students who applied for places on courses which have been cancelled have been placed at a disadvantage and wasted their applications.
One parent rang to complain that his son had used his change-of-mind form to apply for two outreach courses in computing offered by Carlow IT. "My son has lost 20 per cent of his course choices," this parent said. "He was only informed a week ago that the courses were being cancelled. He should have been contacted before July 1st."
The computing courses offered last April by Carlow IT were not included in the CAO Handbook. They have been cancelled due to a shortage of applicants.
There is considerable concern among educators that colleges are rushing to offer courses which for one reason or another have to be cancelled, leaving a number of students disappointed.