Teagasc Kildalton College principal Tim Ashmore has said the Co. Kilkenny college's small-group learning policy and outdoor practicals put it in a better position to deal with COVID-19 social distancing measures than larger, classroom-focused colleges.
The principal was talking to Beat ahead of Kildalton's June 4th virtual open day for prospective students.
The impressive Teagasc Kildalton is based 20km from Waterford City and is the largest of the semi-state authority's colleges, educating over 500 students. The college specialises in the agri, horticulture and equine sectors, and has close ties with Waterford Institute of Technology.
While the mechanics behind the college reopening in September remain tentative, Tim suggests a possible scenario in which the college would "teach theory online and bring students on-site for practical elements, rather than being on campus all the time."
"We're in a great position because our practicals are outside and we can do small-group learning effectively", he said. "They're all manageable in a COVID situation. We'll have a full contingency plan in line with Teagasc and the Dept of Health guidelines once the situation becomes clearer."
The college's virtual open day is aimed at prospective applicants to its Level 5 courses in agri, horticulture, and equine.
During the event, college staff will provide a live panel discussion which will be interspersed with video footage of the college's educational facilities and farm enterprises.
The times for the respective course introductions on June 4th are: Equine Studies, 2pm; Horticulture, 4pm; and 7pm for Agriculture.
People will then be given the chance to post their questions during a virtual Q&A session.
Tim also moots the idea that the primary sector, which includes agri, equine and horticulture is more resilient than other sectors to a cooling down of the Irish economy, something that COVID-19 looks set to catalyze.
"Traditionally, the land-based sector has remained strong during downturns in the economy. For example, jobs in the agri sector stayed relatively strong during the last recession."
He continued: "We had record numbers applying to study at the college during that time. In fact, we had so many we couldn't cater for them all. I'm not sure what's going to happen this time around, but downturns have traditionally lead to more people going into this sector."
Those who wish to find out more about Teagasc Kildalton College can also tap here.
It is essential that any individual who wishes to join the open day registers at www.teagasc.ie for the virtual open day of most interest to them. Anyone can register for any or all of these events and get a complete feel for the college and campus life.
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