There should be more to life than university
It’s that time of year again as the Leaving Cert schedule hits top gear, and those poor students can at last begin to glimpse a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel. Then their thoughts can turn to what they will do next.
The CAO applications are already in, of course – but perhaps the actual reality hadn’t set in. Now, however, in about a week’s time and barring an exam meltdown, they will be free of second-level and finally able to chart their own path.
The only problem is that many of them will be set for a nosedive over the next year or two when they realise they’ve chosen the wrong course or career path – and some will join the one in ten who drop out of college here every year.
Admittedly that’s lower than the European average, but it also doesn’t take into account the ones who fare better when they change path and choose a second career option.
And it’s wonderful that they have that choice – because their parents didn’t, and that’s if they were lucky enough to go to college in the first place.
Back then, not everyone in the Leaving Cert class saw third level as the next chapter. There were many who joined the Civil Service or the ESB or who became apprentices or just simply got themselves a job – in a shop or a factory – because they knew that further education was not for them.
There were a number of reasons for that, and top of the list is that they weren’t cut out for it.
Economics meant that pathway wasn’t open to everyone anyway. Also, there wasn’t a history of it in most homes; very often, those who went to college in the seventies and eighties were the first in their families to do so.
But most of all, there were other options given to students in school; not all of the eggs were put into one basket.
Now the education system seems to be entirely based on the understanding that second-level is a stepping stone to third-level – rarely an end in itself. And what that does is keep pushing the bar higher.
Once upon a time, your Leaving Cert results were the basis of a career; now an under-graduate degree is the equivalent of the old Inter Cert as you make your way to a Masters. And more students than ever are going on to do their PhD.
All of which is fantastic too because you can never have enough education – except, if everyone does it, then you don’t acquire any actual edge. And because other options weren’t really explored, there’s a chance you’ll change direction a year down the road – or you’ll drop out altogether.
Of course another reason for the drop-out rate these days is economics; the cost of accommodation if you can find it in the first place.
Ireland is not unique in this trend either; our drop-out rate of nine per cent is one of the lowest in the European Union, according to Eurostat.
Across the EU as a whole, 14.2 per cent of people aged 15 to 34 said they had left a course or training programme without finishing it at least once.
Eurostat defines dropping out as leaving any formal education or training programme before completion, at any point in a person’s life – including school, further education and higher education.
Surprisingly, money was less of a factor than might have been expected, with just over five per cent dropping out mainly for financial reasons.
In the Netherlands, almost one-third of students – or 32.2 per cent – reported dropping out at least once. Denmark and Luxembourg also had rates above 24 per cent. At the other end, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria were below four per cent.
As to why this happened, more than four in ten said the course was harder than expected or did not suit them. Personal or family reasons were the second most common factor, cited by nearly one in five.
Surprisingly, money was less of a factor than might have been expected, with just over five per cent dropping out mainly for financial reasons.
And from a positive perspective, it must be acknowledged that nine out of ten do see it through to its completion – except there’s absolutely no guarantee of a job out of it at the other end.
Back in the day, if you went to college at all, it was a means to an end; you did a degree, and you got a job as a result which was hopefully permanent and pensionable – and that was your life path sealed.
In fairness, it’s not like there are no options at all; it’s just that there aren’t enough of them.
Ireland boasts more than 80 active national apprenticeship programmes, spanning more than 40 occupations and 21st-century industries, including technology, finance, healthcare, and engineering, as well as traditional trades.
The apprenticeship system is – in relative terms – booming, with a total national apprentice population of over 31,000, supported by roughly 10,000 registered employers.
But compare that to the numbers in college.
We had 278,880 student enrolments across all modes of study in publicly-funded higher education institutions for the 2024/2025 academic year; 212,345 undergrads and 66,535 postgrads.
Across the broader population, Ireland is consistently ranked as having one of the highest rates of third-level educational attainment in the European Union.
Which is something to be proud of and worried about all at the same time.
Canada, for example, is seeing more new apprentices signing up than it has in over a decade – and that country couldn’t be described as backward-thinking. New registrations in apprenticeship programmes across Canada hit a record high of 101,541 in 2024, up nearly six per cent over the previous year.
None of this is a definitive argument for one country’s system over another; it’s simply about facilitatating horses for courses.
The next batch of Freshers are preparing for the last handful of Leaving Cert exams and then they’ll have a think about their future too.
After they get back from Ibiza of course.