WILL PRIESTLEY,
Sir, - Last Thursday the Minister for Education and Science announced the biggest increase in the history of the State, almost 70 per cent, in the registration charge paid by third-level students.
By raising this to €670 the Minister has demonstrated how the concept of free education is in fact more myth than reality.
Of course, this charge is merely the tip of the iceberg for both students and parents when it comes to the real costs of third-level education. Hidden costs such as core textbooks (over €50 each in such courses as economics, medicine and sociology), transport and accommodation are crippling many students.
Whereas I wholeheartedly welcome any extension of the maintenance grant, we must bear in mind that the 5 per cent increase, which gives a maximum grant of €2,510 in the 2002-2003 academic year, is merely in line with inflation, which is running at 4.5 per cent.
Perhaps the most regrettable aspect of this whole affair is that the Minister made no attempt to consult with student organisations nor to provide a comprehensive explanation of how he came to this decision.
Finally, I, like many other thousands of students, would like to ask the Minister: How is it that "free education" in this country is becoming more and more expensive? - Yours, etc.,
WILL PRIESTLEY, President, TCD Students' Union, Dublin 2.
Sir, - "A lot done, more to do" was Fianna Fáil's election slogan. The Progressive Democrats launched their own election campaign in Prosperous. Pardon my naïvety: I presumed that these words indicated that these two parties wished to return to Government in order to fulfil some vision of a vibrant economy where people would be given opportunities to be part of the Celtic Tiger. Not so.
The decision by Fianna Fáil and the PDs to reintroduce college fees is a direct attack upon the many young people who in recent years have seen the cost of third-level education rise and rise. Unlike Labour, which by abolishing third-leel fees sought to open college up to more young people, Fianna Fáil and the PDs have slammed the door to education in their faces. The Government could provide more affordable student accommodation; it could have scrapped the registration fee and made college accessible, ensuring that students do not have to work long hours, spending less time in college in order to make ends meet.
But this would have required vision, sadly missing in the Government. The governing parties have wasted the spoils of the Celtic Tiger in the past five years. Let's hope they don't have another five years to ensure the only prosperity is for the wealthy. - Yours, etc.,
ÁINE MORRIS, National Chairperson, Labour Youth, Dublin 2.