Ireland’s Higher Education Strategy Lies in Tatters
A report in this week’s Irish Times that universities will have to face further cuts in their budgets is disappointing but unsurprising. The government’s higher education strategy is in complete disarray because of the massive economic crisis Ireland is currently experiencing.
Funding has been repeatedly yet the number of students is still growing, particularly as high unemployment is driving the demand for upskilling and re-training.
The government have decided to either cap numbers attending third level or to allow our universities to decline in their quality of teaching.
Neither choice is ideal. Fianna Fail and the Green Party have inflicted serious damage on our higher education system by destroying the public finances.
Re-introducing third level fees is not a feasible option because they already exist in the form of the registration charge. Any revenues raised by higher fees will not be spent on higher education.
The National Skills Strategy calls for 72% of Leaving Cert Students to go on to third level by 2020. This is a welcome target but ring-fenced funding for education is required if the government wishes to meet this target. I suspect the government has already abandoned its commitment to a knowledge economy.
The Employment Control Framework has led to serious shortages of teaching staff in many Departments and universities have not been given the flexibility to replace staff. In some colleges, there are subjects that are no longer taught as they have lost all their teaching staff through retirement.
This Framework needs to be reviewed by the Minister for Education and Skills so as to allow university management allocate resources as they see fit.
