RECENT FIGURES published in relation to the amount of students who attended third level education from the county’s secondary schools last year have shown that there is a gulf between New Ross’s schools.

On one hand, Scoil Mhuire in New Ross is the third highest college feeder school in the county with a progression rate of 87% but the Vocational Colleges in New Ross and Adamstown are lagging at the bottom of the table as the only two schools in the county with less than half of their pupils continuing on to third level.

While the vocational colleges would traditionally have lower progression rates than other schools, those in the other three districts are beginning to bridge the gap with over half of their students attending third level education.

The next highest figures on the list are: the Holy Faith with 86%; the Good Counsel with 78%; the CBS with 72%; and Ramsgrange Community School with 69%. New Ross Vocational College sees just under half (48%) of its students attend third level while just 33% of Adamstown students go on to third level.

Deputy Principal at New Ross Vocational College Dominic Hearne said that the school’s numbers had remained around the same as last year’s list, adding that a lot of people took up PLC courses after finishing second level while others who take part in the Leaving Cert Applied go into jobs in the local area.

“We’re always trying to increase the number of students going to third level. It’s a continuing campaign to encourage our students to go to college.”

However, he remarked that the numbers did not express the number of students that stayed within the education system after second level: “We have a lot of people doing PLC courses and I think if the tables took those into account, our numbers would be a lot higher.”