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52% of 18 to 20-year-olds attending college

The Higher Education Authority says new measures are needed to encourage more young people to go ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

07.32 20 Aug 2014


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52% of 18 to 20-year-olds atte...

52% of 18 to 20-year-olds attending college

Newstalk
Newstalk

07.32 20 Aug 2014


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The Higher Education Authority says new measures are needed to encourage more young people to go to college.

A new HEA report has revealed that the children of farmers are three times more likely to go to college than the average school-leaver. The study also shows more Irish people are now going to college, with attendance among 18 to 20-year-olds up from 44% to 52% in the past five years.

The report - which has been detailed in the Irish Independent - shows there is a huge gap in attendance rates between some parts of the country.

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Figures from the 2011-2012 academic year show that 99% of school leavers in Dublin 6 go on to higher education. This is compared to just 15% in Dublin 17.

Despite high figures for certain parts of the county, less than half of Dubliners in the 18 to 20 age group go on to attend third-level - a figure below the national average.

Counties with the highest proportion of school leavers going to college include Galway, Mayo and Leitrim at 60%, while the lowest is Donegal at 41%.

See a map of the regions here

Family backgrounds also play a part. The children of farmers are three times more likely than the average student to attend third-level, ahead of the sons and daughters of the self-employed and professional classes.

Tom Boland is the Chief Executive of the HEA, and says we have a "huge reservoir of untapped talent":

Niamh Hourigan is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at UCC, and on Newstalk Breakfast this morning she discussed some of the report's findings:

Originally posted 7:30am


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