Professor Philip Nolan accuses universities of ‘gaming’ the CAO system to create ‘impression of competition for places’
The former Nphet member warned of an “academic drive to create elite cohorts within subject areas”
Former NPHET chair Professor Philip Nolan states “institutional gaming” is a phenomenon within the CAO points system
Professor Philip Nolan, a former member of Nphet, has said there is “a certain amount of institutional gaming and misuse” within the CAO points system, accusing third‑level institutions of “manufacturing prestige”.Prof Nolan, who achieved a high national profile during the Covid‑19 pandemic as a member of the National Public Health Emergency Team, told principals and deputy principals of secondary schools, in a speech today, that colleges “tend to use CAO points as a marketing tool”.
