Catch-all plan will hurt pupils

IT is no wonder that both students and parents have reacted angrily to Education Minister Noel Dempsey’s suggestion that he may reintroduce third-level fees.

Few will quibble with the objective of achieving a greater sense of equity in the field of education where some of the wealthiest people in the country enjoy the same fee concessions as middle and low-income families. Such an imbalance is iniquitous and it makes sense to set a realistic ceiling above which fees should be paid.

However, given the present economic scenario there is a strong possibility the minister could introduce a catch-all policy, hitting the poor and the rich alike.