Sir, – The suggestion by consultancy firm Grant Thornton (“TCD says it will ’act’ on ideas for rebranding”, April 9th) that universities need to become more commercially self-sustaining is a welcome one but does not go far enough. The idea should be extended to secondary and primary schools, which could do much more to bring in income rather than simply relying on the State to fund them, as if education were a public good.
The education of young people, who do not pay any taxes, places an uneconomical burden on the precarious finances of our State. Primary schools could begin by attracting fee-paying international five-year-olds to generate new income. While this might reduce the number of places available to Irish students, the important thing is that profits are made. Educational institutions are, first and foremost, businesses, and their job is to create wealth. If, as this report suggests, they are currently at breaking point due to ever decreasing Government funding, the solution is obvious. Increasing commercialisation will enable the Government to waste less money on this parasitic sector and invest in areas that actually make a return to our economy. Yours, etc,
PROF KEVIN MITCHELL,
PROF AOIFE MCLYSAGHT,
Smurfit Institute of Genetics ,
Trinity College Dublin
Sir, – As a young student at TCD I remember a day in the early 1980s spent discussing history and revolution in Ireland with my father. I, in youthful fervour, had expressed a criticism of pointless violence and professed a lack of support for the 1916 rising and its participants. My father, born when Ireland was under British rule, was not impressed. His retort was this: “You’d not be attending that godless college of yours if there had been no 1916.” It seems Trinity is now about to make his then politically motivated comment the truth by taking the Bible from its logo. There is no incompatibility between Christianity and scholarship, nor should any institution deny its roots. The Emperor’s new clothes only left him naked. Yours, etc,
ISOLDA O’CONNOR,
Kilnaclasha,
Skibbereen
Co Cork
A Chara, – In light of the current discussion regarding the rebranding of Trinity College, your readers might be interested to know that according to the college’s website “The legal name of the College is ‘the Provost, Fellows, Foundation Scholars and the other members of Board, of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin’ and should be used on all legal documentation relating to the College.” Le dea-mhéin,
SEÁN Ó RIAIN,
Gort an tSeagail,
Achadh an Iúir ,
Contae an Chábháin
Sir, – It is not surprising that the rebranding of Trinity College Dublin is creating such a lot of heat and noise. After all, the stakes are so low. Yours, etc,
BRIAN AHERN,
Meadow Copse,
Clonsilla,
Dublin 15