Day Eleven: Clarissa

The similarities and differences between the higher education systems in the United States and Ireland are vast.  One of the most notable differences is the integral part the Leaving-Certificate Exam plays in an Irish students’ future higher education and career choices.  Unlike in the U.S. Irish students must choose their plan of study at 16-years-old in most cases.  The students are not allowed to enter college as undecided, and are penalized if they change degree programs.  This policy is restrictive, but I do see the value.  Although scholars in Ireland do not tend to engage in research surrounding student affairs, as we do the States, it is hard to deny the retention and graduation rates seem to be much higher in Ireland.  Also, the system produces graduates who overwhelmingly go on to some sort of institution of higher education-about 70 percent of secondary leavers pursue higher education in Ireland.

Inside the Irish Catholic
Church on the DIT campus

A similar approach in the U.S. could be part of the solution to low retention and graduation rates. Many students flounder in the beginning of their college career, accumulate credit hours, get frustrated and drop out.  If students had a focus of study that aligned with their skills and abilities, this could have an enormous effect on student persistence.  Before that can be done, however, the United States needs to re-design its vocational education system and, as a society, we need to take the stigma out of trade occupations.  While graduates with four-year degrees struggle to find employment, especially with a living wage, good paying jobs in the skilled trades go unfilled at an increasingly high rate. As a homeowner, I can attest to how difficult it is to find a plumber or electrician to complete various projects in my home.  With these skills being in high demand, it drives up the price for services offered to the average American citizen.

As Americans, we do enjoy tremendous freedoms that others around the world do not.  When does this “freedom” become a hindrance?  Do students need to be guided more directly into occupations and careers that suit their abilities?  These are all questions that we can ask and use Ireland’s educational system as a model.