Average earners take college fees hit again

AS someone who benefited from not having to pay third-level fees, I fully support moves by students to make their dissatisfaction felt at the upcoming local elections.

My parents had to pay fees for an older brother in the early 1980s because the family income was a couple of pounds — and I mean that literally — over the income threshold.

This took a huge toll and placed a very unfair burden on parents who were trying their best to put another three children through the primary and secondary system.

With the spectre of fees again on the horizon — not to mention the shrinking economy and talks of cutback after cutback — we are going back to the 1980s and once again it is the average income households that are suffering.

Education is the key to us getting out of the economic crisis, as it has always been.

We should learn from our history, ringfence education funding and get the show back on the road.

Mick Finn

Annmount

Friars Walk

Cork