Some 5 per cent of places in third-level institutes should be reserved for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the final report of a Government-appointed commission recommends today.
The Points Commission also recommends that 15 per cent of third-level places should be set aside for mature students and this figure should rise to 25 per cent by 2015.
The commission, set up by the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, two years ago, comes out strongly in favour of retaining the Leaving Certificate as the main selection method for third level. Alternatives are "more problematic" than the present system and incapable of finding support with the public.
However, it says there is a need to broaden significantly what skills and talents the exam measures. This could be done by adding new subjects to the curriculum which would not necessarily count for points, but might be necessary for entry to third level.
The 5 per cent quota for disadvantaged students would apply to all courses and the report hopes the figure could rise in later years. It does not specify how the quota would be implemented.
The report will be officially launched by Mr Martin this morning.
In a move likely to anger the Irish language movement, the report says the practice of giving additional marks for answering Leaving Certificate papers through Irish should be ended.
The Teachers Union of Ireland, in a statement last night, said it opposed this suggestion which did not recognise the "daunting obstacle course" that students who do their exam through Irish have to face.
The report also recommends that extra points for certain subjects, like higher-level maths, should be not be allowed.
The report expresses concern about those repeating the Leaving Cert exam and whether they have an unfair advantage over first-time candidates. It points out that in terms of studying medicine and dentistry, there seems to be a strong link between high grades and repeating the exam. Therefore the report favours a system whereby the points and basic entry requirements are attained "in the same sitting of the Leaving Certificate".
This is an attempt to prevent some applicants gaining the entry requirements in one year and using the second year to maximise their points score.
To create a further "disincentive" against repeating, the report recommends a 10 per cent reduction in the points score of a candidate taking the exam on a third or subsequent occasion.
The report looks at five alternative selection models.
The first is standardised or aptitude testing, which the report accepts has the advantage of being in the form of numerical data that makes for easy comparison. However, it concludes that such tests are not sufficiently reliable to assess performance, because results "will vary for an individual from time to time".
Another suggestion considered is submitting school references with third-level applications. However, the commission points out the "lack of consistency in such references" and the lack of transparency from a student perspective. The value of personal statements is also called into question.
The report is against the idea of interviews as a selection method for third level, with the spectre of influence being brought to bear on members of selection boards raised. Moreover, the cost of interviewing 65,000 students would be exorbitant.
In a statement last night, the National Youth Council welcomed the proposed 5 per cent quota for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, it expressed disappointment that interviews as a form of selection seemed to be ruled out.