Ireland to review official course list

The Irish Education Ministry has removed a small private business school from a register of approved courses for overseas students, posted last week on its website, after a number of blunders were highlighted.

Among the 2,719 courses listed were three at the Royal Irish International Business School that operates out of a converted bakery building in Cork.

The register includes all recognised courses in Irish universities and mainstream colleges validated by Irish awarding bodies.

The list also includes seven courses offered by an offshoot in Dublin of the UK-based Preston International College, which is yet to open. Along with the Cork school, it is listed as having course approval from Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR).

But when contacted by the Irish Independent, an OCR spokeswoman was surprised that the board was cited as having given approval. She said the school had applied for recognition, which had been agreed but this had not been followed up with the necessary documentation for course approval.

The OCR would pursue the matter with the school, she said.