UL Students (and those studying in Ireland at 2nd and 3rd level), what do you agree with, and disagree with, in this column by Dr Garret Fitzgerald ?
IT IS clear that higher education students are going to be asked to contribute to the cost of their education.
Although this will create some social problems, it is not unreasonable because higher education adds considerably to the eventual earning power of most of those who engage with it.
Moreover, while it makes sense for primary and secondary education to be free because everyone benefits from it, only 60 per cent of each age cohort enter higher education and some 50 per cent secure a qualification. It does not seem equitable that the half of the population who do not benefit from this experience should, through taxes, be required to help enhance the earning power of the other half of the population.
i think fees should b introduced because it might keep d riff raff out of college ................for instance john tarpey
8%... your flogging a dead horse...
Id like to withdraw the previous two comments... my bad love u piercy
Fee's should be re-introduced in some form. It will cut the number of students entering college and it is a logical way of increasing revenue.
That the 500 students study LMO50, it's not fair on the students who believe a 'businessy' job follows a business degree. And it devalues the worthiness of the college's courses.
“affordability, the need to widen access to the disadvantage, better participation in higher education and the need for overall equity”.
Are we all suffering from a little bit of utopia? Garret Fitzgerald as a former Taoiseach (granted it was as Fine Gael leader) is clearly not going to come out showing his lack of faith in Irish politics. As with most things our government touches it will almost certainly make a mess of this one as well, serving to worsen the current problem not fix it. There is and always has been the question of access by the working-class to higher education but does that mean there aren't plenty of "middle-class" families who are finding it very difficult just to stay afloat? Not only will the reintroduction of fees, whatever way they present it to us, again exclude many if not most working-class youngsters from higher education but it will also exclude many "middle-class" children.
This is something that should not be considered in the current climate. Dars argument that it devalues college courses is absolutely flawed and supports only an elitest ideal. I'm not completely against the whole idea of fees but I do feel it is something that needs alot of serious debate and thought, much more than a couple of debates in the Dail by this current crop of cowboys.