Sir, - Your editorial "Helping Students" (May 14th) in stating that "the NCEA has extended its recognition to a range of colleges whose standards and courses vary enormously" repeats a misapprehension already evident in the cover story of your "Education and Living" supplement of April 23rd, 1996.
Colleges become associated with NCEA through designation by the Minister for Education under 520 of the NCEA Act of 1979. While a designation order is made with the advice of NCEA, the decision to designate is that of the Minister. The complex of 46 colleges currently associated with NCEA, is therefore the creation of successive Ministers for Education since 1979.
Such a complex of colleges is, naturally, varied and diverse but it also has the virtues of cohesion and equality that derive from the common national standards for course assessment and for examinations which are the basis of NCEA certificate, diploma and degree awards. - Yours, etc.,
Chairman,
The National Council for
Educational Awards,
Mountjoy Square,
Dublin 1.