Sir, – During more than two decades teaching at third level, I met a significant number of students who were unhappy and directionless, having drifted into the university without reflection. With up to a quarter of a million at any given time, there are too many students in our system. The students are dealing with a lack of accommodation and high costs. More importantly, they, together with the rest of us, as a community, are losing precious time and money on a mediocre service and, in many cases, a mediocre outcome.
On the other hand, there is a shortfall of tens of thousands of construction workers. Some sources say up 120,000. This is one of the reasons for the poor quality of accommodation and the high costs faced by third-level students.
The construction and development industry is a very interesting industry within which to work. There is an opportunity to become financially independent at a relatively young age. Small and medium firms still dominate the industry, meaning that there are opportunities to work independently or to develop one’s entrepreneurial skills. There are lots of career pathways, and many people in the industry enter third level later in life as mature students.
I believe that school-leavers, with or without their parents or guardians, could reflect more seriously on their choices in life. To chose not to go to university will turn out, for many, to be a very good choice. – Yours, etc,
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DERMOT FOLEY,
Dublin 7.