A chara, - I share Garret FitzGerald's concern (Opinion, October 14th) that the disparity between third-level students from different social backgrounds increased between 1992 and 1998.
Dr FitzGerald failed to mentioned the introduction of "free fees" in 1994 or to examine its impact. Clearly the Clancy Wall report to which he refers shows that this measure has largely failed to bringing students from poorer backgrounds into third level. In 1994, the then Minister for Education, Niamh Bhreathnach, argued that this measure would result in better access for all. She disputed the contention that the resources would be better spent on improving the third-level grants system - even though most students from manual or non-manual worker backgrounds would not then have paid fees in any event. For these sectors, the real cost was the cost of living at college.
Ms Bhreathnach failed to reform the grants system and indeed was the only Minister in recent years to actually freeze third-level grants. Her successor, Micheal Martin, did little better. In September 1997, he announced moves to centralise and streamline the grants system, but he failed to build on his media announcements.
The current Minister, Michael Woods, says tackling disadvantage is a priority of his term in office. He has made a good start by providing more grant support for some students from poorer backgrounds. His challenge is to ensure that, when the next report on who goes to college is published, the participation rates of those from poorer backgrounds have increased at least as fast as every other sector. - Is mise,
Malcolm Byrne, Gorey, Co Wexford.