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Irish Times
03-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on Hpat: doctoring the sytem
The Health Professions Admission Test, or Hpat, was introduced in 2009 to broaden access to medical school by testing non-academic skills such as problem-solving. It was a variation of similar tests pioneered in Australia and had the laudable goals of not only producing better doctors but also leveling the playing field between those who could afford private schools and additional tuition and those who could not. Its creators, the Australian Council for Educational Research, claimed that it was neither possible nor worthwhile to study for the exam. However, they had not reckoned with Irish parents and the grind culture that has taken hold since the establishment of the first 'grind schools' in the 1970s. Middle class families continue to find new ways to game the CAO system. Hpat preparatory courses cost up to € 800 and would appear to deliver. Medical faculties report that most students who repeat the exam improve their score and a significant number who gain places do so on the basis of a repeated Hpat. The question as to whether the introduction of the test actually produced better doctors is hard to answer but is clear that the pendulum has swung back in favour of better-off applicants, if it ever truly swung away from them. Over a third of medical students are now from affluent backgrounds, according to the Higher Education Authority. This compares with 18 per cent for the student body as a whole. READ MORE Several medical schools now want to reduce the weight attached to the Hpat, which can add 300 points to a candidate's Leaving Cert result, although the average is near half that. Any changes will need to be signed off by their respective universities' academic councils and the Department of Education will no doubt have something to say. The proposal is worthy of serious consideration. The system as currently designed is not delivering as expected. However, any downgrading of the Hpat should be accompanied by alternative measures to ensure that students from less affluent backgrounds are fairly represented.
The Age
25-06-2025
- Science
- The Age
Eleven crucial kindergarten skills that lead to future success
Australian kindergarten students whose classmates start school with core literacy and numeracy skills perform considerably better in maths and science by year 4, new research based on global test results has found. The latest instalment of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) asked principals to estimate how many of their year 4 students could complete 11 key literacy and numeracy skills when they started school. The skills included recognising most letters of the alphabet, reading some words, identifying written numbers from one to 10, and doing simple addition and subtraction. Analysis by the Australian Council for Educational Research found that, in schools where 75 per cent of students began school with at least six of the 11 skills, children went on to perform significantly better in the year 4 maths and science TIMSS tests. On average, these children scored 570 in year 4 maths and 585 in year 4 science, placing them in the 'high' benchmark for achievement. Loading In contrast, schools where less than 25 per cent of students started kindergarten with these foundational skills scored lower in year 4 maths and science tests: an average of 509 for maths, and 539 for science, placing them in the bottom of the 'intermediate' achievement band. Year 4 has long been considered a crucial year for student development, said Australian Council for Educational Research senior research fellow and report co-author Dr Dan Cloney. 'Learning is cumulative,' he said, adding that what a student learns from age two to four is 'a really strong predictor' of their learning in upper primary and senior high school.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-06-2025
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
Eleven crucial kindergarten skills that lead to future success
Australian kindergarten students whose classmates start school with core literacy and numeracy skills perform considerably better in maths and science by year 4, new research based on global test results has found. The latest instalment of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) asked principals to estimate how many of their year 4 students could complete 11 key literacy and numeracy skills when they started school. The skills included recognising most letters of the alphabet, reading some words, identifying written numbers from one to 10, and doing simple addition and subtraction. Analysis by the Australian Council for Educational Research found that, in schools where 75 per cent of students began school with at least six of the 11 skills, children went on to perform significantly better in the year 4 maths and science TIMSS tests. On average, these children scored 570 in year 4 maths and 585 in year 4 science, placing them in the 'high' benchmark for achievement. Loading In contrast, schools where less than 25 per cent of students started kindergarten with these foundational skills scored lower in year 4 maths and science tests: an average of 509 for maths, and 539 for science, placing them in the bottom of the 'intermediate' achievement band. Year 4 has long been considered a crucial year for student development, said Australian Council for Educational Research senior research fellow and report co-author Dr Dan Cloney. 'Learning is cumulative,' he said, adding that what a student learns from age two to four is 'a really strong predictor' of their learning in upper primary and senior high school.
