Third-level ‘focus on money has hit quality’

Market-driven approaches to increasing income with more students and research are being used by colleges, but contributing to lower education standards, academics have claimed.

A 31,000 increase — around 16% — in third-level numbers since 2008 has also led, they believe, to more time being spent on basic skills at the expense of teaching and graduate quality.

The survey for the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) and Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) also found more than half of academics believe management do not support teaching aspects of their role. A similar proportion feel under growing pressure to raise external research funding, with more than two thirds believing there is inadequate availability of such funds.