Higher Education Plan Launched

A major new strategy aimed at transforming the higher education sector in Ireland has been unveiled.

The Tánaiste, Mary Coughlan, who is also Education Minister published the document published this week, entitled 'National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030.

It has been compiled by an expert high level group under the chairmanship of Dr Colin Hunt and according to the Tánaiste, the report sets outs the changes to take place over the next two decades has been endorsed by the Government as "the future blueprint for the sector".

She said the need for change is underscored by the prediction that the number of students seeking higher education will increase by 70% in the next two decades.

According to the release from the Department of Education and Skills, the Strategy recommends a number of significant structural changes including having a smaller number of higher education institutions of greater strength, critical mass and governed according to international best practice and providing for the establishment of Technological Universities.

It also recommends restructuring and strengthening the Higher Education Authority and providing for a sustainable system of funding to allow for further growth and development as well as changing the funding model used to allocate resources to and within institutions to ensure all students, whether full-time or part-time, on-campus or off-campus, be supported equally.

The plan also covers ensuring that public funding is more aligned to national priorities and needs and that a more performance oriented system, with much more transparent flows of data is available while requiring greater interaction between higher education and enterprise sectors and ensuring much greater assessment of the wider outcomes and impacts of the higher education sector, together with strengthened accountability for institutions according to agreed performance contracts.

(BMcC/GK)