Latest news with #InstituteOfEducation
Irish Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
A fifth of homes not sold to individuals and why property tax can help fix the housing crisis
Institutional investors and State-backed entities such as Approved Housing Bodies bought over a fifth of the homes that came up for sale on the Irish property market last year, according to the CSO. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports. Eoin also reports that Ireland's water infrastructure is now one of the main constraints on the economy, limiting the supply of housing and other infrastructure, Ifac head Seamus Coffey told the Oireachtas Committee on Budgetary Oversight on Tuesday. Shannon Airport saw its passenger traffic increase by 7 per cent in the first half of the year, rising to more than one million over the six months. Ciara O'Brien has the story. The housing crisis rumbles on, and one issue that comes up with regularity is how to convice empty nesters to downsize and free up large family homes for people who need them now. In his column, John McManus points to why property tax could be key to driving such behaviour. READ MORE It's not just housing of course. Many people's finances are in a somewhat precarious state at the best of times. And even if they're in good shape, having a child can be a catalyst for chaos of the financial kind. In Money Matters, Joanne Hunt shows how to navigate this particular minefield. Bretzel Bakery , best known for its base in Portobello, recorded a profit of €180,000 in 2024, amid 'steady growth' emerging from the pandemic. Hugh Dooley reports. Dublin-based grinds school, the Institute of Education recorded post-tax profit of €8.5 million in its 2024 financial period, new financial accounts show. Hugh Dooley has the story. The number of businesses who have registered IDs with the communications watchdog as a scam prevention measure has topped 8,000 with those yet to register being warned marketing messages will be labelled as 'likely scam' from Thursday. Conor Pope reports. Euro-area inflation settled at the European Central Bank's target in June, strengthening arguments to press pause on a year-long campaign of interest-rate cuts. In Commercial Property, Ronald Quinlan reports that French investor Corum Asset Management has deepened its involvement in the Dublin office market, paying about €47.2 million for the Infinity Building, a high-profile six-storey block in Smithfield. He also has details of a prime south Dublin residential investment guiding at €4.75 million. More than 30 Irish jobs are to be lost after Swiss company La Mobilière moved to close its digital insurance operation in Dublin on Tuesday. Colin Gleeson reports. Two people who were allegedly involved in surveilling and harassing the man at the centre of the ' spying ' row between two rival HR giants have been added as defendants in a High Court case related to the affair. If you'd like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money , the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers.
Irish Times
01-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Can you really be ‘coached' to pass aptitude tests for entry to medical school?
The deans of medical schools want to change entry requirements for studying medicine in Irish universities following concern that many applicants are being coached for tests aimed at determining their aptitude for working in the sector. Tell me more about these tests Applicants for undergraduate medicine are required to combine their Leaving Certificate results with the Hpat (Health Professions Admission Test), which was introduced in 2009 to assess skills deemed important for medicine, such as reasoning, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. While the 2½-hour test was initially envisaged as one that candidates could not study for, there is now an extensive private tuition industry where students can prepare for the assessment. How much are candidates paying for private tuition? There are lots of 'preparatory courses' available for students, who can spend up to €800 for a 15-week series of classes and mock exams. Typically, they are operated by so-called grind schools such as the Institute of Education in Dublin, Hewitt College in Cork and many others; in addition, there is something of a cottage industry among medical students who have done well in the test offering their services. READ MORE How widely used is the Hpat? About 3,000 students take the test each year, which is required to study undergraduate medicine at University of Galway, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, UCC and UCD. University of Limerick also requires the Hpat for entry to its master's courses in occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. Can you really be coached to do better in the Hpat? When it was introduced in 2009, the Australian Council for Educational Research (Acer), which devised the Hpat, said it did 'not endorse any training college and actively discourages candidates attending them. They are a waste of the candidates' (or their parents') money.' However, there is evidence that suggests they can pay off. A review by five medical faculties three years after its introduction found 40 per cent of successful applicants each year had improved their Hpat score after resitting it and so got a place in an undergraduate medical school. The report found the greatest improvement was in the non-verbal reasoning section. There have been adjustments to the weighting of components of the test and changes to rules around when candidates can sit the test over the years. Nonetheless, critics say those who can afford expensive preparatory and repeat courses retain a significant advantage. Is the issue of 'coaching' candidates a concern outside Ireland? Yes, it is an issue elsewhere. Studies highlight that in countries such as Germany and the UK, private companies offer expensive preparatory courses for similar medical aptitude tests. They, too, are grappling with ethical questions about equal access, as these courses may improve test results and thus increase the likelihood of admission for wealthier candidates. Interestingly, Australia combines the test with a structured interview process to help identify those suited to the profession. So, what changes are being planned to the Hpat? The Hpat is marked out of a total of 300 points, which is added to a candidate's Leaving Cert score. For example, a student who gets 500 points in the Leaving Cert and 200 points in the Hpat gets a combined score of 700 points. Under revised plans, the Hpat would be reduced to 150 points. This, say sources, means the test would carry the equivalent weight of about one extra subject for entry purposes. When will changes come into effect? The planned changes will require sign-off by the academic councils of universities. In theory, this should be simple, says sources. If implemented, they would probably have a two-year lead-in time from when the changes are announced. Why was the Hpat introduced in the first place? It was introduced following concerns that medical applicants needed to achieve 'a perfect Leaving Cert', while those with an aptitude for medicine were falling through the cracks. The system that came in – which is still in place – says that for school leavers to be eligible to compete for entry to undergraduate medicine they must achieve a minimum of 480 points, meet minimum subject entry requirement and complete the Hpat. Hpat scores are added to Leaving Cert points, although Leaving Cert points above 550 are moderated, with one point awarded for every five scored above that level.
Irish Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Institute of Education's profit rises to €8.5 million following acquisition by Dukes Education
Dublin-based grinds school, the Institute of Education recorded post-tax profit of €8.507 million in its 2024 financial period, new financial accounts show. In its first full year under the ownership of Dukes Education, profit has increased from less than €100,000 in 2023, having stood at €3.1 million in 2022. The school recorded a decrease in administrative expenses of more than €6.3 million to less than €13.9 million, following a spike in 2023 to €20.18 million. The decrease in costs was primarily due to directors' remuneration decreasing to €0, from more than €3.54 million in 2023. READ MORE The figure includes a pension lump sum payment of €2.76 million and termination costs of €400,000; as well as pay of €383,333 to directors. The Kearns family left the company as directors following the acquisition. The school was acquired by UK-based international schools group Dukes Education from the family of its founder Ray Kearns in April 2023. With student numbers surpassing 1,600 last year, the grind school's accounts said there have been 'no significant changes' in its activities during the year, but recorded a 14 per cent increase in the financial year ending in August 2024 over the previous, extended 15-month financial period. In its 2024 financial year, the Institute of Education recorded revenue of €23.1 million, up from €20.22 million in the period to August 2023, and an increase from the €17.2 million recorded the previous year. Dukes Education spent nearly £114 million (€130 million in 2023) acquiring 93.3 per cent of the company behind the Institute of Education, according to the UK accounts of Dukes Education's Guernsey-based holdings company. The remaining minority share is retained by the founding family. It has since acquired Cork-based grind school, Bruce College in January 2024, with recent accounts filed in the UK revealing the cost of the acquisition was more than £8 million (€9.3 million). Staff numbers at the Leeson St school increased to 205, with a two role reduction in management being outweighed by increases in administration roles, increased from 105 to 113, and teaching roles, up from 76 to 89. Staff pay decreased from €9.46 million to €8.96 million in the period, with other retirement costs decreased from €2.86 million to just less than €86,500. Located on Leeson Street Lower, just of St Stephen's Green, the school previously claimed that it may be 'forced to consider a relocation of the school' should Dublin City Council not approve a development project in 2024. The Institute was ultimately granted planning permission to expand its Leeson Street premises. The Institute of Education declined to comment on the accounts.
Irish Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Carl O'Brien: ‘Are grinds really worth it?
I was writing today on how white-hot competition in the grinds sector is leading, in some cases, to eye-watering salaries for the most sought-after teachers. One of the new arrivals to the private tuition scene is online provider Grinds360, which has poached teachers from established operators like the Institute of Education and the Dublin Academy of Education. The grind schools, which are heavily oversubscribed, insist students fare best in-person with real teachers. Most Leaving Cert students avail of grinds nowadays. Photograph: Cyril Byrne Either way, business is booming in a sector estimated by some to be worth as much as €60-€80 million. But maybe a more significant question is: why? What factors are at play in driving so many to secure whatever advantage they can get? READ MORE High stakes The high-stakes nature of the Leaving Cert and CAO points system is an obvious one. Some argue that competition for top college courses has intensified due to grade inflation and rising points requirements. Others point to increasing anxiety, with more students feeling pressure from their own expectations or those of their parents. What is clear is that grinds have become normalised and are now an accepted part of exam success for most students. The grinds culture in Ireland is well in excess of many other European countries. According to a 2022 ESRI study , about one in five final-year students (16-20 per cent) get private support in Germany compared to more than half (55 per cent) in Ireland. Yet, the study's authors, Prof Selina McCoy and Prof Delma Byrne , found that private tuition only appeared to pay off for students with lower levels of achievement, with 'little, if any' gain for their middle and higher achieving peers. Nonetheless, grinds remain a lucrative business in Ireland, with costs ranging from €80 per hour for private grinds to more than €11,000 for full-time grind schools. The popularity of grinds raises uncomfortable questions around the quality of teaching in regular schools. Teacher shortages in key subject areas mean many students have either reduced subject choice or may be taught by an unqualified or 'out of field' teacher. Shortages Parents often are unaware, given that principals fear reputational damage if they highlight these difficulties. Some schools, especially in the South Dublin area, have been losing significant numbers of students to grind schools as a result. It remains to be seen whether Leaving Cert reforms – with a greater emphasis on project work and continual assessment – will affect demand and, in turn, the business model of grinds. Or perhaps the growth in the number of alternative pathways into further and higher education will take some heat out of the CAO points race. Anything that eases some of the acute stress experienced by students must, surely, only be a positive. How were the exams for you? We'd love to hear your feedback on this year's Leaving Cert exams: what were the hardest ?; what kind of toll did it take on students?; what changes would you like to see?; are you concerned about grade 'deflation' and its impact on CAO points? Please take a few minutes to complete our survey, below, and we'll share the results soon: Later this week: In advance of the CAO deadline, we'll share a last-minute checklist, as well as updates on what course areas have additional places and our analysis of how the 'deflation' of grades this year may affect this year's CAO points.
Irish Times
24-06-2025
- Science
- Irish Times
Leaving Cert applied maths: New topics may have thrown some students
Students may have been thrown by new topics on the higher-level applied maths paper but there was also a good mix of the familiar. Brendan Williamson, an applied mathematics teacher at the Institute of Education, said that question one, which focused on standard adjacency matrices was a nice, familiar introduction. 'While the mention of 'period of a particle' in part (a) might throw some students, most will have been able to approach the circular motion question,' said Mr Williamson. 'This gentle start is instantly contrasted with a very tricky question two on differential equations. This question deviated from the normal by being both fully on a single topic and requiring students to reproduce a particularly challenging proof. READ MORE 'Indeed, the later sections of the question contained an oddly subtle shift in how gravity is handled that will put some out. While the nuts and bolts of the mathematics were fine, the overall approach would certainly have deterred many. ' Connected particles Questions three and five, on connected particles, are often favoured by students looking for relatively easy marks, but the part (b)s in both these questions fell outside the norm, said Mr Williamson. 'Rather than allowing any choice, Q3(b) required students to use Prim's algorithm, and it presented the information in a matrix, which has never happened on the paper before,' he said. 'Question 5 (b) was peculiar in the purity of its mathematics – normally the applied maths exam structures the questions around real world scenarios but this question on abstract vectors was simple and straight to the point.' There may have been disappointment for students here, he said. 'While students should be aware that not every topic gets examined, the absence of project scheduling, a major part of the course and typically one full question, will have been both jarring and disappointing. Dynamic programming Question six was on dynamic programming, a new addition to the course. 'This topic has four elements that can be examined but unfortunately the hardest aspect, equipment replacement and maintenance, appeared,' said Mr Williamson. 'Since this has only been part of the course since 2022, the most effective manner in which teachers and students should approach it is yet to be standardised, so some may really struggle. 'This issue also arose in question 9(a) as the necessary depth of a student's grasp of displacement time graphs and the amount of class time to allocate was not previously clear. Both of these questions will provide helpful insights for teachers in future years but for the current cadre in the exam hall they will be disquieting.' Projectiles Question seven, which looked at projectiles that bounce, has not appeared as a topic since 2006 – but the concepts have been a key component of exams for years. 'Since the removal of inclines from the syllabus, students reviewing the relevant past papers will overlook this topic since the two often appeared together,' said Mr Williamson. 'A good teacher would have been sure to reintegrate the bounce calculations back into the course, but a student who was focused on past papers alone will find themselves worried.' Despite these challenges, Mr Williamson said that there were straightforward options, particularly in question 9(b) and question 10. 'If a student read through all 10 questions before selecting their favourite eight, they will realise that the end of the paper was good enough to offset some of the trickier elements in the middle,' Mr Williamson concluded. The applied maths exam was scheduled at the same time as the religious education exam, and the Leaving Certificate 2025 is now formally over.
