Sir, - You report (March 25th) that a study of RTC science students has found that many cannot read or write properly. You also quote the study to refer to an ever-dwindling points requirement for admission to such courses
Naturally, I cannot comment on the accuracy of the study, although I feel that it may have been rather selective. However, I can comment on what I see in our college. For example, the minimum points score needed to enter our Chemical Engineering Degree Course in 1996 was at its highest level ever at 465 points out of a potential maximum of 600. In fact, our course required the highest minimum points score for entry to any third-level engineering course in this country.
It is important to note that this figure is a minimum - our new students last year had, on average, a points score of 520 out of 600 which, I would suggest, confirms there their all-round ability. Their Leaving Certificate results show As and Bs at Higher Level in Irish, English, and other languages, as well as in mathematics and the sciences.
Their all-round ability is confirmed again by the standard of the verbal and written presentations which they make during their time with us. In fact, we place significant emphasis on these vital aspects of our students' work. Their ability is confirmed ultimately by their ongoing success on the job market, where they compete effectively both nationally and internationally at primary and postgraduate degree levels.
It is also worth noting that students from our department have formed the backbone of a succession of very successful teams from the college on RTE's Challenging Times, together with students from our Business Studies and Mechanical Engineering Departments. Other RTCs have had similar success in a competition which requires a broad range of abilities.
We are not alone in having this high calibre of student. If we use their Leaving Certificate points score as the criterion, we find similarly qualified students elsewhere in the college studying medical laboratory science, as well as other subjects in the sciences, engineering, business, and the humanities. The study refers to a particular science course, which only required an entry standard of 160 points last year. It implies, though probably not intentionally, that this was typical of the RTC sector. You will agree, I trust, that this is certainly not typical of this college. - Yours, etc,
BE, C.Eng, FIEI, FI Chem E,
Head of Chemical and
Process Engineering,
Regional Technical College,
Rossa Avenue, Cork.