Fewer poorer students at university

THE number of university students coming from the middle and upper classes has risen since the abolition of fees while fewer people from poorer backgrounds are attending college, official figures reveal.

The comparison of most recent analysis of the socio-economic background of new college entrants with figures from the mid-1990s show that the widening of access to third level through free fees never materialised.

The figures appear to vindicate Education Minister Noel Dempsey, who tried unsuccessfully to have the Government consider reintroducing third level fees for students from high income families. But while his department would not comment last night, opposition parties and student representatives said free fees was just one of a number of factors needed to increase numbers from disadvantaged backgrounds attending college.

In 2001, almost 15% of the 17,000 students enrolling at the country's universities, teacher training colleges and the National College of Art and Design were children of higher professionals (higher earners). This was 3% more than the same category in 1994, the year before fees were abolished.

At the other end of the scale, figures from the Higher Education Authority show that over 2% fewer college entrants two years ago were from non-manual, semi-skilled and unskilled backgrounds. The proportion of farmers' children going to college fell 3% to just over one-in-ten.

While the socio-economic categories are based on old classifications, the figures give an idea of the impact or lack of it free fees have had on improving access to third level education. The figures do not include analysis of the backgrounds of students in the 14 Institutes of Technology or other full-time education, which would have a broader intake of students from different backgrounds.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) said it was obvious that more people from better social backgrounds were going to college because free fees have not been matched by appropriate increases in student grants.

"Free fees are part of a two-pronged approach but we haven't seen the grant increases needed to allow everybody the option of attending third level. You can't just open up the door for somebody and not give them the ability to walk through it," said USI president Colm Jordan.

After the reintroduction of fees fell victim to political opposition last month, Mr Dempsey announced a package of increases to raise grants by 15% next year.

But USI believes the top level of payment still only meets half the €6,000 cost of going to college away from home each year.

Labour Party education spokesperson Jan O'Sullivan said the removal of fees was never going to make a substantial impact on its own.

"We need interventions as early as pre-school education to bring about equal access to third level. The vast majority of children who are not going to go to college know it a long time before they even reach the Leaving Cert," she said.