Page 11 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 11
was adopted by the government and modest prosperity followed. In the
early 1970s Ireland joined the EEC, and for probably the first time ever,
rural Ireland began to have some money to spend. Much of it was spent
on further education for the children.
The Scramble for Points
In Ireland we have the ability of being surprised by the most predict-
able of results. The universities could not possibly cope with this sudden
rise in the demand for entrance places. Since not everybody who got a
Matriculation or Leaving Certificate and wished to go on to third level
education could be accommodated in the limited number of places, some
sort of selection system had to be devised. Let it be said beforehand that
whatever system of selection is used, those who fail to get in will
denounce the system as unfair and discriminatory. In general, the univers-
ities adopted the 'points' system. This boils down to an open competitive
examination. There may be some attempt at interviewing, but exam
results are the important thing. Those who get sufficient honours to
satisfy the entrance requirements of the different faculties will be
admitted, if they can afford it. Those who fail to get those honours will
not be admitted. And of course, the prestigious faculties, that is those
that lead to the more lucrative professions, will be under the most press-
ure, so their requirements will be stiffer.
Many people feel that this is an iniquitous system. When pressed for
an alternative system they tend to get vague. A system of school
assessment is often suggested. If the assessments were done by some
heavenly corporation of archangels there would be a lot to be said for it.
Unfortunately in the real world assessments have to be done by ordinary
teachers, so that in fact it would be the teachers who decided who should
go to the universities and who should not. One wonders how many
teachers would want to play God in this fashion with their pupils. There
is another difficulty with assessment. Those who advocate such a system
fail to say how to ensure a uniform standard of assessment throughout
the country. Apart from obvious temptation of partiality towards one's
own school, how does one arrange that Brother in Sligo, and Sister in
Waterford, and Mister in Mullingar all have the self-same standard of
assessment?
Much can be said against the examination and points system, and there
can be instances of strange results, but by and large it gives a fairly
objective result. The onus of providing a still more objective system is on
those who wish to scrap the present system . It would be very desirable
if everyone who wished to attend the university in the faculty of their
choice could all do so. But we are in a real world, where there is a limit
to money that can be squeezed out of the tax-payer. In 1986 25,000 pupils
will apply for places in some sort of third level institution. There are
about 10,000 places at most. So there has to be a selection made. These
9
early 1970s Ireland joined the EEC, and for probably the first time ever,
rural Ireland began to have some money to spend. Much of it was spent
on further education for the children.
The Scramble for Points
In Ireland we have the ability of being surprised by the most predict-
able of results. The universities could not possibly cope with this sudden
rise in the demand for entrance places. Since not everybody who got a
Matriculation or Leaving Certificate and wished to go on to third level
education could be accommodated in the limited number of places, some
sort of selection system had to be devised. Let it be said beforehand that
whatever system of selection is used, those who fail to get in will
denounce the system as unfair and discriminatory. In general, the univers-
ities adopted the 'points' system. This boils down to an open competitive
examination. There may be some attempt at interviewing, but exam
results are the important thing. Those who get sufficient honours to
satisfy the entrance requirements of the different faculties will be
admitted, if they can afford it. Those who fail to get those honours will
not be admitted. And of course, the prestigious faculties, that is those
that lead to the more lucrative professions, will be under the most press-
ure, so their requirements will be stiffer.
Many people feel that this is an iniquitous system. When pressed for
an alternative system they tend to get vague. A system of school
assessment is often suggested. If the assessments were done by some
heavenly corporation of archangels there would be a lot to be said for it.
Unfortunately in the real world assessments have to be done by ordinary
teachers, so that in fact it would be the teachers who decided who should
go to the universities and who should not. One wonders how many
teachers would want to play God in this fashion with their pupils. There
is another difficulty with assessment. Those who advocate such a system
fail to say how to ensure a uniform standard of assessment throughout
the country. Apart from obvious temptation of partiality towards one's
own school, how does one arrange that Brother in Sligo, and Sister in
Waterford, and Mister in Mullingar all have the self-same standard of
assessment?
Much can be said against the examination and points system, and there
can be instances of strange results, but by and large it gives a fairly
objective result. The onus of providing a still more objective system is on
those who wish to scrap the present system . It would be very desirable
if everyone who wished to attend the university in the faculty of their
choice could all do so. But we are in a real world, where there is a limit
to money that can be squeezed out of the tax-payer. In 1986 25,000 pupils
will apply for places in some sort of third level institution. There are
about 10,000 places at most. So there has to be a selection made. These
9
