Business and education don’t mix, warns lecturers’ union

THE education system is being ruined by a growing emphasis on business in the running of third level colleges, a teachers’ union leader has warned.

Professor Breandán Ó Cochláin, president of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), also urged caution about student assessment of lecturers.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin announced in April a Strategic Innovation Fund to reward higher education institutions for structural reform.

Mr Ó Cochláin told the IFUT annual conference on Saturday: “We are not against reorganisation but we have to be careful that the rights of our members are not infringed or their contracts violated.”

Ms Hanafin has said an independent body will recommend how the fund is divided among the various institutions, but Mr Ó Cochláin questioned the methodology. “A guiding principle will be that the institution must introduce changes in management systems in order that it is run in a business-like manner. Will the awarding body place any value on learning or will it decree that a business-like approach is paramount and contribute further to the ruin of our education system?” he asked.

The agenda for structural reform was set out in last year’s review of Irish third level education by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“The OECD report barely mentions the humanities, as if they were an uneconomic distraction from the real business of the universities, which is to deal in economically-worthwhile science,” Mr Ó Cochláin said. “The proposal that Science Foundation Ireland should take over responsibility for direction in the area of humanities as well as science shows that a price is being put on all areas of education.”

He said the idea that academics should be given time to think seems to being going out of fashion.

“They’re being increasingly pressurised to quantify their time and effort and the most important objective laid before them seems to be how much funding they can bring into the institution,” he said.

Mr Ó Cochláin also raised the recent recommendation of the European University Association that feedback be taken from students and used in colleges’ quality assurance systems.

“Student assessment of lecturers can be very biased and ultimately lower academic standards. We’ve all heard the tale about who the students think is the best lecturer in the department, he or she is the one who gives the least amount of homework and most exam hints,” he said.