Madam, - We should celebrate the achievement of all those who recently gained enough CAO points for university entry. In particular, we should celebrate those who overcame social and economic disadvantage, in some cases becoming the first members of their families to make this breakthrough.
But sadly, yet again, your recent feature on feeder schools to university seems to me to suggest that those not going to university have somehow failed.
Where in your league tables do we find information on those gone to apprenticeships, further education, agricultural, art, dance and other colleges, those happily gone to employment, those who cannot afford to go to university, those travelling the globe and those who have chosen to defer or terminate further academic progression?
I wonder how many of those saying "no more" have done so because of years of hot-house schooling aimed solely at maximising CAO points.
I also wonder how many more, counted this time around in the league tables, will drop out of university, frustrated and tired for the very same reason.
Instead of selective reporting, let us be given the first destination of all students. It might also be telling to provide information on schools' de facto admissions policies, the socio-economic backgrounds of learners, parental support, learner supports, additional sources of funding, payments to sports and other coaches, access to proper facilities, full details of external grinds, tracking of graduates through college (including dropouts, etc).
Those who advocate school league tables as the definitive guide to the worth of our schools might heed the advice of David Berliner, professor of educational psychology at Arizona State University:
"Far more important than our maths and science scores is the involvement of the next generation in maintaining our democracy and helping those within it who need assistance. . .schools that cannot turn out politically active and socially helpful citizens should be identified and have their rates of failure announced in the newspapers."
Feeder-school league tables, because of what they don't tell us, are of very limited value. In pandering to a particular socio-economic agenda they do a great disservice to many young people whose path will be different but in many cases just as happy and as successful as those now in university. - Yours, etc,
BARRY O'CALLAGHAN, Principal, Senior College - College of Further Education, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.