Pic Sean Curtin Fusionshooters
MINISTER for Education Jan O’Sullivan this week launched a new guide aimed at helping parents and guardians support prospective third level students.
‘Aiming Higher: A Guide for Parents and Guardians’ was launched at the University of Limerick on Friday.
The guide is by Patrice Twomey, director of the Cooperative Education and Careers Division at UL and funded by the Higher Education Authority.
The new publication aims to give parents and guardians a practical understanding of the higher education system in Ireland and to help them to support their child in making informed decisions around third level courses and career choices.
It is the first guide of its kind that is specifically targeted at parents and extensive consultation with parents drove much of its content.
“Aiming Higher” makes a hugely practical contribution in setting our young people on the pathway to success, armed with a very clear picture of the expectations and demands they will face during their higher education experience. It will equip parents with the knowledge that they need to help their children make the right choices,” said Minister O’Sullivan.
Patrice Twomey commented: “Parents are the most significant influence on their children’s third level and career choices. They don’t need to have all of the answers. What ‘Aiming Higher’ does is that it helps parents to frame the questions that will prompt their daughter or son’s thinking around their individual talents, strengths and interests, and ultimately their chosen course.
“We hope that the guide will help parents to approach the ‘third level conversation’ with a greater and more informed confidence. In a broader context, we hope that Aiming Higher will contribute to the successful transitioning from second level to third level education, an area of strategic priority for the University of Limerick.”
Copies of the guide will be circulated to all second level schools in the country and it will be available on the UL website www.ul.ie/careers/aiminghigher.
