Ms Josephine Feehily:

It is not something I have thought of hugely, except in a practical way. Yesterday, we were discussing the impact of this year's leaving certificate in terms of the practical side for third level of how to manage if the CAO offers are late. That is the only thinking I have done about the collaboration. Logically, we would expect that there should be a continuum. One would hope that the various curriculum reforms would feed not just into an end in themselves but would equip students both practically in how to use a library but also how to learn in the different way that is required. It is very much self-managed, as one moves up. There is some space for including that kind of developmental stuff in the curriculum earlier so that students are not disadvantaged. Some students really miss the support systems when they come to third level.

To the extent I have thought about it, it is a heavily student-based focus on how to equip him or her for the experience of third level right through, and the practical collaboration, which does take place. The TUs will play their part, and have done for the past several years, in accommodating additional students and timetable issues, but it does not give the best outcome for the student experience if he or she arrives and there is not, for example, appropriate time for first-year orientation, which is what happened to a fair extent last year.

The other point on whether there is too much focus on having to go to college aged 18 or 19 is well made. All of the third level and further education sector, and especially the TUs, very strongly market lifelong learning. I am a lifelong learner. I regard it as more of that, but the whole lifelong learning piece is something that also needs to be valued in a way it perhaps is not always. The emphasis on lifelong learning is something the TUs bring to the table, often in partnership with industry but not always. I am very pleased to now be able to bring that through to PhD level in a TU context.