Sir, - Raymond Tierney (December 14th) congratulates the Points Commission on its decision to rule out interviews and school references for selecting entrants to third level education. He contrasts the potential for discrimination using such methods with the "total objectivity" of the current points system. However he fails to recognise that the current situation is not in the least bit "objective".
How does he reconcile the many thriving private schools who specialise, for a large fee, in producing high point yields in the Leaving Certificate, with the many deprived schools where Leaving Certificate students must do their best in very large classes with very limited resources. If an interview is good enough to select someone to do a job, why is it not good enough for a university place?
Interviews should not totally replace the points system but they do have a role to play in allocating third level places. The "Eton-friendly UCAS system" in Britain has far higher levels of mature student and working class third level participation than we have in Ireland. The retention of the points system as it is represents another victory, after the recent Budget, for the affluent middle classes of this country. - Yours, etc.,
Ciaran Mc Kenna, Greenville Place, Dublin 8.