Irish university A-level criteria 'disadvantaging NI applicants'

The treatment of A-levels in the Republic of Ireland's university admissions system is disadvantaging students from Northern Ireland, a new study suggests.

Maximum admission points can only be achieved by students who take four A-levels.

It is standard for Northern Ireland students to take three A-levels, with only an estimated 4% taking four.

Universities Ireland has set up a working group to look at the issue.

The new report has been produced by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in partnership with the Irish government's Shared Island Unit.

It said a modern language requirement for many university courses in the Republic of Ireland also disadvantaged potential applicants from north of the border.

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The equivalent of A-levels in Ireland is the Leaving Certificate, which involves studying a wider range of subjects - typically between six and eight.

University applicants taking the Leaving Certificate can score the maximum 625 admissions points by achieving H1 grades in six subjects, including maths.

Applicants from Northern Ireland can only score maximum points if they achieve four A* A-level grades, including an A* in maths, further maths or pure maths.

Low cross-border movement

The report said there was a case for re-examining how many points A-levels got, given how few pupils in Northern Ireland took four subjects and the "much lower take-up of modern foreign languages in Northern Ireland".

The report reiterated that there was a very low level of cross-border movement to attend university.

In 2020/21, 1,170 students from the Republic of Ireland went to study in Northern Ireland, while 1,255 students from Northern Ireland attended a higher education institution south of the border.

People from the Republic of Ireland made up 2.4% of students in Northern Ireland, while people from Northern Ireland made up only 0.6% of students in the Republic of Ireland.

Ireland's Higher Education Minister Simon Harris says he wants to "make it as easy as possible for students to choose to study" in Northern Ireland or the Republic

The study said that, aside from entry requirements, the decision to study elsewhere "reflects the complex interaction of tuition/registration fees, financial supports and other living costs".

It added that accommodation costs and lack of housing availability in the Republic of Ireland were "undoubtedly barriers to students moving from Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK".

Launching the report, Ireland's Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said: "I am committed to working with higher and further education institutions, and with partners in the UK government and Northern Ireland, to make it as easy as possible for students to choose to study in either jurisdiction.

"This is really important in deepening our connections both north/south and east/west and in ensuring that young people have access to the best possible educational opportunities."