Higher Education Sector 'Severely Threatened' - Report

A report by the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education has stated the sector's future is "severely threatened".

The Cassells report on the future of third-level funding was published by Education Minister Richard Bruton today, 11 July.

In his report, the Expert Group's Chair said the contribution made by Higher Education is under threat due to "falling resources since 2008, a deteriorating student:staff ratio,inadequate facilities and other pressures."

Overall, the study concludes current funding arrangements are not sufficient and calls for the articulation and implementation of a clear funding strategy for the sector.

While student fees could rise from €3,000 to €5,000, Cassells added at least €1 billion should be invested in the third-level sector until 2030 to accommodate the young population.

In addition, €600m should be invested to deliver "higher quality outcomes".

Mike Jennings, General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), said universities and academic staff are "almost at breaking point".

He added the report "should serve as a major wake-up call to government and the political system generally that education funding can no longer be ignored".

"Between 2008 and 2014 full-time enrolment in the seven universities in Ireland showed a consistent year-on-year increase of 18% - from 78,577 in 2008 to 93,023 in 2014," he said.

"This growth in numbers was accompanied by a decline of 28% in state funding for universities, from €722.8m in 2007 to €522.2 in 2014.

"Student to staff ratios in Irish universities also increased from 19.4: 1 in 2007 to 23.0: 1 in 2011. It is shocking to realise that the ratios were worse in 2011 than those described in the report of the Commission on Higher Education (1967). The situation has been seriously exacerbated by the introduction of the ECF (Employment Control Framework) in 2009.

"Countries like France, Austria and Sweden and already reversing education cuts introduced during the recession. The Department of Education here should do the same."

Welcoming the report, Minister Bruton laid out a number of targets that should be adopted, including:

• Provide for 50,000 upskilling and reskilling places over the next 5 years to meet identified skills gaps in the economy and to support an increase in Lifelong Learning

• Increase participation in higher education by the most disadvantaged socio economic groups by over 7 percentage points

• Increase the numbers of entrants studying on a flexible basis (online, part-time) by 25%

• Increase the number of students undertaking a work placement or work based project as part of their course by 25%

• Increase new research enrolments by 30%.

However, CEO of the Higher Education Authority, Tom Boland, said: "There can be no question that urgent intervention is required to address a rapidly deteriorating financial situation across all of our institutions. This poses an immediate risk to their ability to maintain high quality provision and to meet the continuing growth of student demand which, as the report makes clear, will place significant pressure on the sector over the next 15 years."

(LM)