evidence: Deis-designated schools saw an increase in student progression to third-level education in 2020, but social class remains a significant factor in determining the level of educational attainment achieved by students in Ireland, according to figures compiled by The Irish Times. In 2020, 6,662 or 63.5 per cent of Deis students progressed to third-level, an increase of 746 students who secured a place in 2019, when 57 per cent of Deis students progressed. Despite this improvement and the controversy surrounding the Leaving Cert and the introduction of the calculated grades system last year, the rate of student progression to third-level in 2020 was broadly in line with preceding trends.