Madam, - Those who argue for the reintroduction of third level fees have tended to miss one critical point. Fee abolition alone was never going to bring about equality of access to university across social classes. Other radical reforms are necessary to ensure greater equity.
Garret FitzGerald makes a similar case (Opinion, August 23rd), but his focus on reform of third-level grants also misses the point. In order to ensure higher rates of college enrolment for students from disadvantaged communities, radical reforms are needed at a much earlier stage of education. Adequate investment in pre-school and primary education is essential, and greater emphasis put on building third-level aspirations among secondary students in the Junior and Leaving Cert cycle. The access programmes run by the colleges and universities are very important in this process, and they deserve continued support.
Development of these programmes, along with the provision of free college education and the other necessary reforms in earlier schooling, would really bring about greater equity, and ultimately change the education culture - just as our attitude to education at other levels has been changed. After all, it is not so long ago that secondary schooling was seen as a privilege for the few, rather than a necessity for the many. - Yours, etc,
IVANA BACIK, Seanad Éireann, Dublin 2.
Madam, - The Minister for Education can solve the problem of third-level fees by allowing those who opt for fee-paying at second level to continue with the practice at third level. - Yours, etc,
EAMON KEARNEY, Ashdeane, South Douglas Road, Cork.