WITH LEAVING Certificate results published today, there are strong indications that CAO points for courses linked to property and construction will fall dramatically in the first round of offers.
But points for a wide range of courses in science and nursing could increase significantly as students opt for areas with employment potential.
The 2009 Leaving Cert results are broadly in line with last year. The honours rate in higher level English is only marginally down, despite the security lapse which forced the rescheduling of Paper 2.
Today’s Leaving Cert results reveal just 16 per cent of students took honours maths. Only 10 per cent of students took higher level chemistry, while just 8 per cent took higher level physics. But, in an encouraging trend, the number failing maths at all three exam levels fell to 8 per cent. In all, over 4,500 students failed higher, ordinary, and foundation level maths.
More than 57,000 students will receive their results this morning. One of these students scored 9 A1s in the exam, while 143 had a perfect Leaving Cert, securing 6 A1s or more and gaining 600 CAO points.
Attention will now shift to next Monday’s first round of CAO offers. New CAO figures show a decline of over 25 per cent in applications for courses in architecture, pharmacy and subjects such as quantity surveying and property economics.
But points for areas with vastly increased student demand could rise. These include science (applications up 28 per cent), agriculture (up 40 per cent), nursing (up 14 per cent), art and design (12 per cent) and medicine-related courses (up an average of 10 per cent).
It is expected that points for most general arts and business courses will be broadly in line with last year’s.
The recession will present huge difficulties for many students getting their results. Until now, thousands could expect to get places on apprenticeships and in areas like the Garda and Defence Forces. But the virtual ban on recruitment means that there are few options in these fields.
Other features of this year’s exam include:
- The total number of Leaving Cert students taking Irish dropped below 80 per cent for the first time;
- The number failing English at higher level increased from 381 to 561, but the honours rate declined by just over 1 per cent;
- The subjects with the highest grades included music, Russian, Irish, Polish, Spanish, Italian and maths.
Last night, Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe urged students with good grades in maths and science to consider third-level courses in these areas. But ICT Ireland, the group that represents the hi-tech sector, expressed concern with the consistently low numbers choosing to sit higher level maths. Chief executive Aoife O’Brien said: “Ensuring school-leavers have a firm grasp of maths is vital if Ireland is to develop as a leading smart economy.”
