Report on college fees must be published

It is now over three months since the Expert Group on Future Funding of Higher Education signed off on its final report, a period which has seen a general election campaign as well as protracted negotiations on government formation. Higher education, however, has remained largely absent from political discourse.

It is time for the contents of this hugely significant report to be put in the public and political domain, to ensure the resourcing of our higher education system can be considered not only by the incoming government and new minister.

This will also enable a fully informed public debate on something fundamental to the future development of the country.

The context to this report is well-documented. Huge increases in demand for higher education, coupled with very significant reductions in State funding has caused a dramatic fall in funding per student.

The report is explicit in the quantum of funding that will be required to meet significant demographic demand pressures, provide investment which will maintain and enhance quality, and ease the burden on struggling students and families.

It is, however, common knowledge that this is in excess of €1 billion.

There are those of us who believe this should be met predominantly from public funding, but recognise that the context is one of considerable competing demands and priorities for public funds.

The alternative proposition is an additional imposition of student fees facilitated by an income-contingent loan scheme, at a time when Ireland already has the second-highest level of student fees and the third-highest level of personal and household debt in the EU.

Debunking myths

Some myths need to be debunked. We absolutely do not have “free fees”. If you do not qualify for the maintenance grant, we have one of the most expensive third-level systems in the OECD. And student loans are already a necessity for many, with the Irish League of Credit Unions study last year finding 59 per cent of parents are getting into debt of over €5,000 on average through borrowing to cover the spiralling costs.

What is therefore clear to anyone familiar with the higher education system in Ireland is that plodding on with the status quo is not a viable or desirable option.

Regardless of your view on these significant choices which face us, it is in the public interest that this should be considered as a matter of urgency by a new cabinet at the earliest possible juncture, and that a full parliamentary debate on the implications of this hugely significant report is facilitated.

This is far too important a decision to be taken behind closed doors, without a public and political debate on how higher education should be funded – one informed by the contents of the report.

And it is far too important an issue to avoid taking a decision on any longer.

If we are truly serious about building a republic of equals, then we must ensure nobody is deprived of access to higher education due to their personal circumstances or financial means.

Knowledge economy

If we are truly serious about building the knowledge economy that we spend a lot of time talking about, then we must ensure that our higher education sector, which has been starved of funding in recent years, is adequately resourced to deliver a truly world-class system.

Our higher education system is much more than a production line that feeds graduates into the job market. It cultivates critical thinking, innovation and personal development, and produces graduates who’ll contribute more in taxes, participate more in our democracy, and contribute to the development of our economy and our society.

Higher education is an investment with a guaranteed return which is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Education is both a crucial enabler in the future economic prosperity of this country, and an antidote to social deprivation and exclusion for those fortunate enough to avail of it.

It is time our political system grappled with the following question and offered clear action as opposed to vague soundbites and delaying tactics: what degree of priority do we place on the contribution of higher education to the future development of the Irish economy and our society?

This question offers an opportunity to demonstrate a real commitment to a “new politics’, one which values open, honest and transparent debate on the issues and choices which face us, and one which prioritises long-term thinking in our nation’s interests.

Joe O’Connor was a member of the Expert Review Group on Future Funding for Higher Education. He is organiser with Impact trade union and a former president of the Union of Students in Ireland