More choices for school-leavers

Sir, – I am writing in response to the question posed by Prof Tom Collins (“Students on 420 points are locked out of veterinary, teaching and nursing. How is that fair?”, Education, January 24th).

As a principal of a further education college, I would like to offer some perspective on the changing landscape in the further and higher education sector and the continuously expanding opportunities that are available for students to enter higher education through the further education route.

The relatively new Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has made significant strides in opening more access routes into higher education. There are now ample opportunities in every region of Ireland to participate in a PLC or further education course that will provide excellent progression routes to higher education, while also allowing students to experience college life. Furthermore, the presence of PLC, apprenticeship, and further education courses on the CAO website is presenting valid choices to school-leavers.

The recent establishment of a new National Tertiary Office within the Higher Education Authority to develop joint further and higher education degree programmes will allow students to commence their higher education courses in a local further education college in their own region with a guaranteed progression path to a higher education degree. The opportunity to study part of your degree programme in your locality will invariably provide welcome relief to parents and students with the increasing cost and limited availability of accommodation. Finally, the recent announcements by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris of significant capital investment in further education colleges, coupled with the above advancements, make it an exciting time to be working in the further education sector, allowing all further education teachers to provide expanded choices and opportunities to students in every region in Ireland. – Yours, etc,