Madam, – Brian Mooney’s assertion that the structure of Post Leaving Cert courses and the Institutes of Technology is “broken beyond repair” (Education, September 14th) indicates a lack of knowledge, research and understanding in relation to the sectors and their composition.
Mr Mooney seems oblivious to the fact that all Post Leaving Cert and Institute of Technology courses are accredited on the National Framework of Qualifications, which allows students to plan their education and career progression. Unlike Fás, access, transfer and progression are key in these sectors.
PLC courses are closely linked to local industrial demands and are equally popular among school leavers and mature students, including increased numbers of recently unemployed professionals. Courses in the institutes are available up to masters and post-doctorate levels and their focus on leading-edge technologies in modern and dynamic environments are of crucial importance in the current economic climate.
It is ironic that he chooses to tar the sectors with the same brush as Fás. Frustrated by its irrelevance and dubious accreditation, TUI has consistently called for the agency’s remit (and reputed €1 billion budget) to be brought fully under the auspices of the Department of Education and Skills. This would allow its functions to be streamlined and incorporated into the country’s high-quality vocational and institute of technology sectors. Such a move would be both cost effective and a huge step in the right direction towards the much-vaunted knowledge economy.
The Scottish model he so enthusiastically espouses is already in existence in the Post Leaving Cert colleges and institutes of technology.
– Yours, etc,