As 81,000 prospective students await first-round CAO offers on Monday, the Irish government continues to grapple with the issue of third-level student funding. In anticipation of October’s budget, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) have already announced a demonstration for October 19th aimed at displaying “the consensus and support” for a publicly funded higher education system.
The last demonstration in 2014 saw a turnout of 6,000, in stark contrast to figures of 20,000 and 40,000 people in previous years. While 6,000 is a sizeable amount, it doesn’t reflect a sustained and motivated awareness extending beyond students and other interested parties.
Ireland has the second-highest third-level fees in Europe and one of the highest globally, according to the OECD. The Cassells report has already warned that transitioning to a loan scheme, akin to that in the UK, would have “a devastating effect on current and future Irish students”. A variety of organisations, from USI to the variety of trade unions in the Education Coalition, support this assertion.
But in trying to win this battle, seeing the issue as something that primarily affects the Republic of Ireland’s 18-22 year olds is a mistake. Instead, greater headway can be made by emphasising the broad section of the population that such a funding crisis affects, whether it be the economy that needs highly trained graduates or the 60 per cent of parents going into debt to cover the cost of their child’s third-level education, as well as working with the groups that are similarly affected.
The recent report on university funding in Northern Ireland, which bears a considerable resemblance to the Cassells report, is just one example of this. It is also far from coincidental that calls to increase fees are currently circulating on both sides of the border. Postgraduate students left without grants are already in the situation such a campaign is trying to avoid.
Demonstrations have merit, as does the ruckus from student organisations, coalitions, and media. But often the outrage is restricted to those with a direct vested interest in Irish student affairs. What many fail to recognise is that increases in education costs will have wide-ranging effects across the board, both in the Republic and further afield, affecting family incomes, future earning potential, and untold other economic and social affairs.
