UCD has launched its New ERA (Equal Rights to Access) programme, which aims to increase participation rates at thirdlevel among students who are currently not participating for social and economic reasons. Up to 70 additional places on degree courses in UCD will be made available to students from 20 secondlevel schools in 12 areas through a direct-entry scheme.

Additional support will be offered in the form of a full-time summer school for incoming students and significant financial and academic support, including a student tutoring scheme, visits to university facilities for second-level students and ongoing support for both students and teachers.

New ERA is one of a number of similar programmes (see feature above) introduced in response to the dramatic differences in participation rates by young people from well-off and less-well-off backgrounds. In common with the DCU programme, UCD is actually setting aside places for students from underprivileged backgrounds as part of a concerted effort under Partnership 2000 to provide 500 additional places for such students.

"We're levelling the playing pitch," says Aine Galvin, coordinator of the New ERA programme and previously the coordinator of the similar North Dublin Access Programme in DCU. "We are giving students the opportunity to apply directly to us. We are widening the access routes and looking at other ways of assessing students, including having students coming for interview here and putting their case directly."

In 1996, a survey by the Northside Partnership in Dublin found that third-level participation rates were as low as 7 per cent in the Dublin 17 postal district, compared to 67 per cent in Dublin 6 and 57 per cent in Dublin 4. "We have a situation where, if you're from a higher-professional background, with a mother or father who is a successful member of the professions, you have a nine out of 10 chance of ending up on a highereducation course," says Malcolm Byrne, education officer with USI.

"But if you're from a semi-skilled or unskilled manual background, you only have a one-in-seven chance. You can't argue that third level is free and accessible if these statistics are continuing."