THE ISSUE of student tuition fees will have to be addressed in the near future despite the Government’s expressed opposition to them, Dr Jim Browne, the president of NUI Galway, has said.
“Without a sustainable funding mechanism, the higher education system in this country faces a slow but steady decline in standards.”
In an interview with The Irish Times, Dr Browne also criticised any plan for a two-tier university system.
“Galway is not a region of Ireland; it is a region of the world. If NUI Galway is put into the second division, the city of Galway will also be put in the second tier. This whole notion of Galway being a regional university is ludicrous.”
Dr Browne expressed unease about the lack of consultation involved in the recent decision to abolish the National University of Ireland (NUI). The move, he said, put the onus on Government to nurture the NUI brand which has a strong international reputation.
Dr Browne said the forthcoming report of the National Strategy Group on Higher Education must propose a clear and sustainable funding mechanism for third level. The review group must clarify the mission of various colleges, particularly the institutes of technology.
He said it was unreasonable to expect students to pay at the point of entry to the third-level system through “upfront” fees. The student loan scheme proposed by Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe seemed fair and equitable, he said.
Under the scheme, students would repay fees after graduation, once they had reached a particular income threshold. It was important, he said, for students themselves – rather than their parents – to take some responsibility for the cost of their own education.
Mr O’Keeffe’s plan, which also included proposals to widen access, was abandoned by the Government under pressure from the Green Party last October.
