SSUNI Calls for Reform of University Application Process
The Secondary Students’ Union of Northern Ireland (SSUNI), with support from the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU), is calling for reform of the university application process between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland following a report which highlights major inequalities in the current system.
The report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in partnership with the Irish government's Shared Island Unit shows that applicants from Northern Ireland are only able to achieve full points under the Central Applications Office (CAO) system should they get 4 A*s (including maths) at A-Level.
Roughly only 4% of Northern Irish students study 4 A-Levels, so this is a major factor in only 0.6% of students in the Republic of Ireland being from Northern Ireland. SSUNI believes this low cross border movement limits massively opportunities for Northern Irish students and is a contributory factor to the ‘Brain Drain’ and loss of young talent Northern Ireland is suffering.
SSUNI believes the high admission standards contribute to students’ stress and poor mental health, with SSUNI’s International Officer, Lauren Bond, commenting that, “The extremely high grade requirements needed for students from Northern Ireland to gain access to universities in the republic are completely unreasonable - adding more stress and pressure to an already demanding workload. To expect students to not only take 4 A levels, but also achieve an A/A* in all of their subjects sets a ridiculously high standard and for many students makes attending a university in the Republic completely unfeasible. There is nothing more valuable than our North-South and East-West relationship, and so to see so many barriers put in place for students to study with their peers in the Republic is not only disappointing but unnecessary. Urgent reform is needed.”
SSUNI is also calling for greater support in Northern Ireland for students so that they are prepared throughout their school journey for CAO, with SSUNI Secretary Ryan Kearney adding, “There are significant challenges for students in Northern Ireland when applying to universities in the south due to the modern language requirement. Students may not have had the opportunity to study a second language extensively in their schools or may have decided not to continue with one at GCSE, unaware as to how that limited their future options. It's crucial that we have more education in schools about CAO to ensure that the application process is welcoming to all.”
The ISSU’s International Officer, Iffah Rahmat said, “The publishing of the Higher Education Mobility report is a great tool in understanding the movement of young people in hopes of getting their education. It is crucial that voices of young people are at the centre of the making and launching of the report to ensure fair representation.”