Vol. 461 No. 7
37 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Education her views on whether the requirement of a third language for entry to the NUI favours students with linguistics abilities; the proposals, if any, she has to provide more equity for students with abilities in other areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3521/96]
The National University of Ireland is an independent autonomous body. My Department has no function in relation to the academic requirements for entry to its courses. These are set by the Senate of the University.
I understand that the university sets requirements to take account of the secondary school programme; the level of attainment needed in general for the purpose of a university education and, specific subjects needed in the students' previous education if they are to successfully take university level courses in the subject chosen.
I am not aware that these requirements result in unfair treatment for students. However, if the Deputy has specific concerns, they would need to be raised with the NUI. I would be happy to have them conveyed to the NUI on her behalf
Students who have linguistic abilities have an advantage in gaining access to the NUI. I wish to draw to the Minister's attention that for point purposes one can only aggregate six subjects. It is unfair that those who are weak at languages are compelled to take as many as nine subjects in their leaving certificate. Students can be excellent in other disciplines such as technical, business and science subjects. One could be an E student in honours maths and yet not have the ability to pass, perhaps, German. Because of that students are excluded from NUI colleges. I have serious concerns in this * regard in that many students are excluded from admission to the NUI because they cannot fulfil the three language requirement. To facilitate students will she allow them — particularly as there is now a transition year — to take subjects, such as a foreign language, and, perhaps, Irish, in the fifth year of the course so that they can then concentrate on the six subjects for the leaving certificate?
I appreciate the Deputy's concern but the Department of Education has no function in academic requirements for entry to those in the Senate of the University, that is, University College Dublin, University College Cork and Maynooth College. The NUI language requirements are stricter in those colleges than in Trinity College, Dublin and Dublin City University. The requirements in the University of Limerick are even stricter. All that information is available but we are careful to allow the academic autonomy of the universities to be retained and standards for entry to be set by themselves. In regard to the Deputy's second point about taking subjects in an earlier year, examinations are set following a two year programme and the transition year is not taken with examination subjects, per se, in mind. It is a programme which has been put in place to allow the student to mature outside the examination programme. The transition year is important and has been monitored by the Department to ensure it is not abused. The leaving certificate is set to be taken by students who have completed two years in each of the subjects.
Will the Minister agree that the interests of the student should be a priority rather than the autonomy of the NUI? I know students — and I am sure the Minister does — who had sufficient points to do disciplines in the NUI but because they did not satisfy the three language requirement they could not undertake such disciplines? Will the Minister accept that is a basic inequality within the system?
I repeat, the Department has no function in this matter. The standards set by the Senate of the NUI are different from the requirements of Trinity College and Dublin City University but the University of Limerick, which we have not mentioned, requires three languages, Irish, English and another language. If the Deputy is asking me to convey her concerns to the NUI, I will do so.
The Minister said she does not have any role in this matter yet she is telling universities the number of external members they should have on their governing bodies. That suggests the Minister is obsessed with structures as opposed to the real meat of education, namely, curriculum and equality in education. Given the high failure rates, for example, in French and Irish at leaving certificate level, this requirement is an impediment to people accessing third level education. I do not accept the Minister's view that she does not have a role in this regard. At the very least she should review the matter and make recommendations to the NUI because in an earlier document formulated by the Minister on reform of the university sector, she proposed the abolition of the NUI which, due to representations, she changed in subsequent documents.
I note the Deputy's comments.
