The State's third-level colleges were given a blunt warning by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) yesterday that they could face a major crisis because of falling student numbers and shrinking funding.
At a specially convened meeting to plan the future of third level education, college heads and various other interest groups were told the youth population was set to fall by almost 20 per cent between now and 2010.
The implications of this could be grave and colleges would have to come up with innovative solutions to cope with the demographic changes, the meeting heard. There was also discussion during the meeting about the changed funding landscape for third level, with the Government choosing to prioritise primary education, arguably at the expense of third level.
One senior university figure told the meeting that increasing access for the disadvantaged was going to be very difficult in these circumstances. Senior officials from the HEA and the Department of Education were present and the HEA in particular emphasised to the colleges the difficulties that could lie ahead.
The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, is also anxious for something to emerge from the discussions and his spokeswoman said the meeting was "useful and constructive".
Mr Dempsey has asked the HEA to compile a study based on the various meetings planned for 2003. The next one is due in January. The so-called "demographic timebomb" has been debated widely in education circles for some time, but this was the first time all the major stakeholders in third-level education came together to discuss it and other pressing issues.
The Institutes of Technology (ITs) are particularly concerned about the problem and in some parts of the country colleges are finding it difficult to recruit enough students. ITs located close to universities are most at threat, the meeting heard.
Those who attended the meeting described the presentation from the HEA as "alarming, but honest", while others said the ITs expressed more serious concern about future challenges than university representatives.
Among other issues raised was the problem of getting students to select science-related courses.
The problem of boys under-achieving in school and third level was also raised, as was the level of third-level attainment in the Dublin region.