Colleges disagree on abolition of free fees

RESEARCHERS and university heads are strongly in favour of abolishing free college fees, but any such move is opposed by top staff in institutes of technology, a survey has revealed.

However, all three groups are agreed that government funding is far less than what is required for basic teaching and learning, despite significant increases for research facilities in recent years.

The study, carried out for the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which oversees funding to the universities and IoTs, found that the vast majority of academics, administrators, researchers and industry leaders believe the absence of a national higher education strategy is hindering the sector’s advancement.

Among those questioned in the university sector, 60% believe free fees should be abolished to benefit higher education, but this is more strongly felt by researchers. However, just one-third of institutes of technology staff agreed that the re-introduction of fees would be a good idea.

One director of a research institute told consultants Prospectus, who carried out the survey for the HEA, that abolition would only be beneficial if a properly means-tested grant scheme and a national loans scheme were put in place. This was in line with proposals by Noel Dempsey as education minister in 2004, but which were rejected by cabinet colleagues and remain off the political agenda.

However, the Irish University Association and a number of university presidents have been extremely vocal in supporting some return to tuition fees to compensate for the shortfall in government investment.

Although there have been improvements in placement of students from non-traditional backgrounds at third level in recent years, two-thirds of the 1,000-plus respondents felt that it remains unaccessible to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The same proportion believe the higher education system is not meeting the needs of Ireland’s new multi-cultural population.

The focus on research by many colleges is often based on boosting their international rankings against other institutions, but less than half the people surveyed believe the rankings are a valid measure of quality.

The report’s authors recommend that an institute be set up to help colleges build their leadership and management capacities, and that a radical and innovative approach to funding be introduced to enable colleges compete globally.