Top marks for Galway schools in league tables

All students in the Leaving Certificate class of 2015 at seven Galway secondary schools graduated to third level education this autumn, according to the latest ‘transfer league tables’.

The top feeder schools in Galway for third level institutions in 2015 were Presentation College, Athenry; Salerno in Salthill; Garbally College, Ballinasloe; St Brigid’s College Loughrea; Coláiste na Coiribe, Tuam Road Galway; Coláiste Chroi Mhuire Gan Smal, An Spidéal; and Coláiste Mhuire, Ballygar.

All seven of these schools had a 100% transfer of students to third level colleges in 2015.

The data, which is not endorsed by the Department of Education, is based on information provided by third level colleges and universities on enrolment. The statistics were published in national newspapers this week.

Coláiste Iognáid (Jes) on Sea Road in the city had 99% transfer rates while other local schools with high percentages of students graduating to third level include Calasanctius College Oranmore (95%); Gort Community School (94%) Coláiste Éinde, Salthill (93%); St Joseph’s (The Bish), Nuns’ Island (92%); St Raphael’s College Loughrea (90%); Portumna Community School (89%); Scoil Phobail Clifden (86%); Ardscoil Mhuire Ballinasloe (86%); Dominican College Taylors Hill (85%); St Paul’s Oughterard (84%); St Jarlath’s Tuam (84%); St Mary’s College Galway (83%); Holy Rosary College Mountbellew (82%); Presentation College Headford (82%); Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin, An Cheathrú Rua (81%); Coláiste An Eachréidh, An Coiléar Bán, Athenry (81%); Dunmore Community School (80%); and Scoil Phobail Mhic Dara, Carna (80%).

The feeder-school list in the Irish Independent confirms that National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) takes the greatest number of Galway’s secondary school leavers, followed by Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). But third level institutes in neighbour counties also perform well in attracting Galway’s school leavers including University of Limerick (UL) and Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT).

For example, the figures show that more students from Glenamaddy Community School went to UL than to GMIT or NUIG in September.

Portumna Community School sent almost twice as many students to UL as it did to NUIG.

Conversely, the likes of the Bish in the city, which neighbours NUIG, sent 65% of its college-going school leavers to NUIG in autumn.

GMIT’s largest enrolments came from Presentation  College Headford, Calasanctius College Oranmore, and Presentation College Athenry.

The figures, which cause controversy every year, are blunt and provide a breakdown by school of where each Leaving Cert class of 2015 began college this year. They do not include school-leavers, who went on to do Post Leaving Cert courses (PLCs) or those who took up apprenticeships.