Colleges under pressure to meet student demand

COLLEGES are under pressure to meet demand for rising student numbers in the face of falling budgets from the Government, the Higher Education Authority has warned.

It revealed figures showing an 8% rise in numbers taking up places in State-funded, third-level institutions this autumn. The 45,582 people who accepted places through the Central Applications Office (CAO) represents a 22% increase on uptake in 2000, while the numbers taking level 8 (higher bachelor) degrees has risen by more than 50% to 31,380 a year in the same period.

Michael Kelly, chairman of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which sets funding and policy for the sector, said the phenomenal numbers show the strong demand for third level education.

“Up to two out of every three 18-year-olds are now taking a place in third level. The system has responded well to this increased demand but will be under significant pressure as we expect that demand to continue to grow,” he said.

The Government has set a target of 72% of all those of school leaving-age attending third level by 2020, which could cost an extra €500 million a year. But the budgets allocated to colleges have dropped in recent years and third level bosses are anticipating a further 10% cut in next month’s budget.

However, while this is impacting significantly on courses offered and subject choices available to students, the Irish Examiner revealed earlier this week that the universities have not been availing of exemptions from the public service recruitment ban which they could use to soften the impact. Although approval for almost 500 academic positions have been sought by the institutes of technology and approved by the HEA, the universities have only applied for three such posts since July.

They are opposing rules introduced by the HEA requiring them to seek sanction for filling up to one-third of academic vacancies, claiming that this is in breach of their budgetary autonomy under the 1997 Universities Act. The Irish Universities Association has said it is continuing to discuss the details of the Employment Control Framework with the HEA.

The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) called on the Government to reverse recruitment restrictions to allow colleges to offer the high level of education to the rising number of entrants. “Government spokespersons can’t pretend to promote the concept of upskilling and better education for our young people, while at the same time cutting back on the structures that provide such education,” said IFUT general secretary Mike Jennings.

This year, for the first time, more places were filled in institutes of technology than in the universities, with nine-out-of-10 third level entrants attending State funded colleges.