Today saw the publication of the eagerly anticipated Cassells report on the future of third-level funding in Ireland. The group, led by former general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Peter Cassells, has taken two years to issue its findings. The report has acknowledged the unsustainability of the current funding system and has recommended three possible new models for the government to pursue.
Speaking on RTÉ Morning Ireland, Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, outlined that the report’s findings will be referred to the Oireachtas Education Committee and a decision on the model to be pursued will be taken “within a year”.
Higher education must be seen as an absolute priority in order to create this fairer society referred to by Bruton
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At a time when colleges have exhausted cost-saving measures and the state of our third-level sector has been described as being at a “crisis point”, we cannot afford to wait another year to see increased investment. Mr Bruton this morning stated that no sector is more important in “combining our ambition to have a strong economy and a fairer society” than a prosperous education sector, “in particular a higher education system that is focussed on bringing in more children from disadvantaged areas”. As we enter into a period of reinvestment in our public services, higher education must be seen as an absolute priority in order to create this fairer society referred to by Bruton.
All three options suggested in the report will see increased funding to the sector. This should be welcomed. They include abolishing the student contribution fee and establishing a predominantly state-funded or “free fees” system, a continuation of the €3,000 charge along with increased state investment and an income-contingent student loan scheme where fees are deferred and state funding is increased.
Many thought that today’s report would solely advocate for the introduction of the most radical and controversial model of a student loan scheme. The fact that it hasn’t is certainly a relief for those opposed to such a system. Despite many experts claiming that the introduction of a loan scheme would be the best option to provide the sustained funding needed in the medium term, it is the least politically viable of the three in the current climate. With a Fine Gael minority government propped up only by Fianna Fáil, it is hard to see a proposal such as this passing through the Oireachtas.
The lobby against the implementation of a loan scheme is also strong. A coalition containing the four largest higher education trade unions and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) was formed in June to campaign against the implementation of a loan scheme. President of USI, Annie Hoey, has outlined that USI is vehemently opposed to the introduction of such a scheme, citing a decrease in social mobility as the main deterring factor.
The main positive that has come from today’s report is that it is now overwhelmingly accepted that we need a new funding model for our third-level sector
The implementation of a predominantly exchequer-funded system – which would see state contribution to higher education increase from 64 percent to 80 percent – may also struggle to be implemented at a time when the public finances are stretched and sectors such as housing and health are also in crisis.
Opposition to such a model centres around whether people who don’t use higher education services should have to pay for those who do. The abolition of tuition fees in 1996 did very little to narrow the gap between those attending third level institutions from disadvantaged backgrounds and those from middle to upper class ones. It is very hard, however, to argue against a system that allows universal access to education.
Many media outlets have today focussed solely on Cassell’s proposal to raise the student contribution fee to €5,000 and to introduce an income-contingent loan scheme. It must be stressed that the report places all three options on an equal footing and it is now up to the Minister for Education, the Oireachtas Education Committee and wider stakeholders to reach a consensus on one of the models.
The main positive that has come from today’s report is that it is now overwhelmingly accepted that we need a new funding model for our third-level sector. It remains unclear which model will be chosen, however. Although it is not perfect, maintaining the student contribution fee while increasing state funding does seem to be the most likely alternative at present and would certainly be more welcome than a student loan scheme. Though by no means is the “free fees” model yet off the table. Regardless of which is chosen, action and investment needs to happen quickly if we want to prevent our universities from falling further down world ranking tables. We have waited long enough; higher education must not be overlooked any longer.
