Q & A

Your education questions answered

My daughter's school is planning a skiing trip in February. The trip is very expensive. Do you think it is worth going? Surely she would be better off using the week to catch up on her study? She is in fifth year.

All parents have to cut their cloth to measure and if you cannot afford this trip you should sit your daughter down and explain this to her. If, on the other hand, you can afford it, and your daughter is keen to participate, remember that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for her to travel with her class group under supervision.

Skiing is a healthy activity and a week away from her studies in fifth year will do her academic progress no harm at all.

If I were a parent in this situation, I would offer to fund this trip if my daughter showed a commitment to her studies during the year.

Furthermore, I might suggest that

it is preferable for students to participate in an organised school activity under adult supervision than to travel in unsupervised groups to sun locations.

My son is anxious to do a computer course. He is very bright and should achieve a good number of Leaving Cert points. Is one university regarded as the leader in computer education or are they all the same?

There are a vast range of computer courses available to students after leaving school. They range from very practical one-year courses in local VEC colleges to postgraduate courses in universities.

All courses have to attract students every year and are therefore quite market-driven. The progress of each year's graduates is monitored by colleges and any deficiencies in training affecting their employability is identified and immediately rectified.

I have spoken to graduates of degree programmes in computer science who said that they had more problem securing employment than students who took less theoretical courses at certificate or diploma level. My advice would be to contact the computer science departments in the colleges of interest to your son and arrange for him to attend an open day where he can meet with and question staff and current students.

He should also get the statistics on graduate progress from the colleges. Where are the graduates of the last five years working now? With this information, he should have no difficulty in choosing a suitable college.

As my wife and I both work long hours we find it difficult to attend daytime parent-teacher meetings. Are there any plans to move these to the evenings?

Talks have just begun between the Department of Education and the INTO and TUI on this and other "modernisation" issues. But I am not aware of plans by other professional groups to meet parents in the evening.

If hospital consultants, solicitors, therapists, architects, etc. begin to work into the evening to facilitate those of us who happen to work nine to five, I am sure that teachers would feel the need to re-examine their approach.

Brian Mooney is president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. You can e-mail him your questions to bmooney@irish-times.ie