Words of warning

“Increasingly, I am hearing alarm at the extent to which our second-level system is producing students who learn to the test; …

“Increasingly, I am hearing alarm at the extent to which our second-level system is producing students who learn to the test; who . . . are not learning to think for themselves; who receive spoon-feeding at second level and expect the same at third.’’

– Tom Boland, chief executive of the Higher Education Authority, in June 2009

A significant number of students at third level are inadequately prepared’’, leading to a reduction in standards.

– Extracted from submission by the Royal Irish Academy to the forthcoming National Strategy on Higher Education

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The current CAO points system is delivering many “poorly educated and poorly motivated” students to the university sector.

– Michael Scott, professor of computing at DCU, in August 2009