Tertiary education – quality and quantity

• Published date: 23 November 2022
• Publication title: Irish Times: Web Edition Articles (Dublin, Ireland)

But is this marvellous increase in participation coming at a cost to the quality of our university education? I refer to the 50 per cent increase in first-class honours being awarded in our universities (News, November 15th)

Is there a balance effect at work here whereby actual quality is being diluted by the increased quantity? Has our increased inclusiveness debased the coinage of the outcome?

I would raise a related question. Is the emerging or actual policy of foreshortening the duration of study required for some subjects at Leaving Cert by one year likely to undermine the standard of those entering third level, thus threatening to debase the coinage of that award further or will it lead to increased dropout?

Both the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and the Department of Further and Higher Education could well heed the ancient medical principle of "First do no harm." – Yours...