Mr. Jim Miley:

I thank the Deputy for her incisive questions. She asked how we deal with the immediate challenge. I quoted some statistics earlier but another contained in our main submission to the committee is that in 2019, 13% of students achieved 500 points or more. The equivalent this year was 26%, which is double the amount. There are numerous other data points at which one can look. When we refer to recalibrating, we mean that we must level the curve. We cannot have another yo-yo effect next year whereby we dive into a valley again. Whatever decisions are taken must gently flatten the curve. Ideally, it should not sit at the level it is at and should come back down. That needs to be done on a transitionary basis. It needs to be carefully calibrated and if we do not do that, disadvantage will continue. Either next year's students or those from last year and the year before will be disadvantaged. Stability is absolutely critical, even if it is an imperfect system. We must get the system stable and then make the necessary changes.

The Deputy also mentioned the cross-Border issue. Our proposals around timing are important in that regard. Deputy Farrell earlier asked about the relative positions in other countries. In Sweden, students get the equivalent of the leaving certificate results on 10 June. In Finland, students get their results at the end of May. In Denmark, students get their results on 5 July. The results of the French baccalauréatare available in the first or second week of July. The results of the German Abiturare available by 15 July. As the committee is aware, results of the UK exams are available earlier than the results of our exams. More than that, UK universities make conditional offers to students, sometimes in March or April. We have a real challenge with attracting Northern Irish students, very few of whom study here. The timing issue is a considerable factor in that. A student in Antrim or Derry has a choice available in May or June, certainly by July, of an offer from a UK university. The student will ask whether to take the place or wait and hope. Of course that student will take the place. Some of our member universities made a considerable effort in the years before Covid-19 to recruit more students from Northern Ireland and did not succeed very well. Timing is one factor in addressing that issue. There are other issues around A levels but I am probably not best qualified to comment on those.