It said Minister for Further and Higher Education Patrick O'Donovan is"minded to continue" with arrangements that were in place last year which provided those fleeing from the war with free access to third level.
In 2022, 432 candidates applied to sit the Russian exam, last year that rose to 548 and this year numbers have jumped to 889. The EU temporary protection directive which governs provisions for refugees from the war in Ukraine states that countries must provide education up to the age of 18 years old, but it does not require a country to provide access beyond that.
But two years on all of these 12 students have completed their Leaving Cert and applied via the CAO to go on to third level. "With subjects like History and Geography you need to write a lot and you need vocabulary," she said.These students have high praise for the Irish education system, and especially for Irish teachers.