“After 15,000 pensioners protest the budget cutbacks similar numbers of students demonstrate from Parnell Square to the Dáil. Gardaí blocked off Kildare Street in fear of student radicalism and occupation after the previous events in UCD, with horses and wagons …” (more, with pictures)
[Paula Geraghty, Indymedia Ireland, 24 October]
“The increase in registration fees for students here could be good news for northern universities, according to the pro-vice chancellor at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster …” (more)
[Independent, 23 October]
“Student protesters brought traffic to a standstill in Dublin city centre yesterday afternoon as an estimated 15,000 young people took to the streets to voice concern about the potential reintroduction of third-level fees. Students gathered in Parnell Square at lunchtime ahead of the march, which culminated with a rally outside Leinster House where the protesters were addressed by student leaders and opposition politicians …” (more)
[Steven Carroll, Irish Times, 23 October]
“A system for recording students’ achievements, which could eventually replace the degree classification system, is to be trialled by 18 higher education institutions. The Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR), which will include details of students’ module marks and other achievements alongside an overall classification, took a step forward this week as universities across the UK announced that they would be testing the new approach from next year. Bob Burgess, vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester, led a review into recording students’ achievement that concluded that traditional classifications were no longer “fit for purpose”. He said: “This (trial) will give us an opportunity to see if the proposals add value and are practical.”…” (more)
[Rebecca Attwood, Times Higher, 23 October]
“”Systematic shortcomings” have been identified at the universities quality watchdog in the Republic of Ireland. An expert review panel acting for the Higher Education Authority (HEA) said that some universities had become so detached from the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) that they had suspended quality-assurance activities for unspecified periods. “There is a sense … of a lack of full engagement with the IUQB by some university leaderships,” said the panel. “Because of competing priorities, the quality agenda experienced some slippage.” The IUQB had shown “sustained, systematic shortcomings” in following up its recommendations to universities in some instances …” (more)
[Melanie Newman, Times Higher, 23 October]
“As I mentioned last week, the Irish Budget and Book of Estimates published on October 14 included, more or less in passing, a commitment by the Government to transfer the functions of the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) to a new state agency to be formed from a merger of three existing ones. I confess that I am deeply uneasy about this move, for a number of reasons …” (more)
[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 23 October]
“Canberra is to fast-track hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure funding to the university sector as part of its effort to pump-prime the economy in the face of the global credit crisis and worldwide fears of recession. But the sector is lobbying the Government to more than double the $304 million in infrastructure funding allocated to the sector in the 2008-09 budget in order to fully fund the $700 million of university building proposals that are waiting on decisions from the Government. Some 14 building proposals have been short-listed for funding from the Higher Education Endowment Fund. As foreshadowed in The Australian yesterday, the Government is accelerating the final bidding process by around six months, with funding decisions now expected by the end of the year. University umbrella group Universities Australia called on the Government to fund all 14 proposals …” (more)
[Andrew Trounson, The Australian Higher Education, 23 October]
“An estimated 10,000 students from colleges and universities all over Dublin have gathered outside Leinster House to protest at the threatened reintroduction of tuition fees. The Garda dog unit and gardaí on horseback are patrolling the area. Almost 80 gardaí are guarding the main gates of Leinster House on Kildare Street …” (more)
[RTÉ. 22 October]
“Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe wants a “forensic review” of the amount of time academics spend lecturing their students. The Irish Independent has learned this is one of the key areas he will ask the Comptroller and Auditor General to examine. The request is likely to further alarm universities, which are already concerned over his suggestion that academics are not spending enough time in lecture halls. Mr O’Keeffe has publicly indicated he wants to see more engagement between academics and students …” (more)
[John Walshe, Independent, 18 October]
“The argument that degree classification was, or had become, a burden rather than a blessing was widely contested at that time, even though the evidence that this was so was already overwhelming. People – and this includes academics – are creatures of habit, and like to cling to what is familiar to them. The degree classification process was well known and well tried. The annual round of classification boards were recognisable fixtures in the academic calendar. Employers (we were told) were accustomed to select graduate recruits simply on the basis of the degree classification. Besides, there could be no question of the University of London abandoning degree classification unilaterally. There had to be a sector-wide decision. Yet, on re-reading the published report of that conference, the empirical arguments against classification were strongly put and were beyond contention. And they have become much stronger with the passage of time …” (more)
[Geoffrey Alderman, Guardian, 21 October]
“Universities in the North are to give students an ‘end of year report’ under a new pilot scheme. Eighteen institutions have signed up for the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) which will be given to students when they complete their degrees. The reports will give information on a student’s achievement throughout their time at university, such as a breakdown of grades by modules and details of areas in which they have excelled …” (more)
[Irish Times, 21 October]
“‘No cutbacks, no fees, no Fianna Fáil TDs’ was the rallying cry of students who gathered in University College Dublin (UCD) last night to protest against the possible reintroduction of third-level fees. About 100 students took part in the protest, many bearing banners, ahead of the arrival of Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, who was chairing a function at the Clinton Institute on the Belfield campus. A strong Garda and campus security presence were on hand to monitor the protest and three people were arrested for breaches of the peace. The arrests came following two minor scuffles when protesters attempted to break through a metal fence surrounding the entrance to the building …” (more)
[Steven Carroll, Irish Times, 21 October]
“Second-level school principals say the integrity of Leaving and Junior Certificate exams is at risk because of the growth of special arrangements for candidates with certain needs. They are particularly concerned about the growth in the number of special exam centres catering for individual students. The outgoing president of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), Aine O’Neill, said there were “genuine fears” about damage being done to the reputation of the exams. This year, about 15,500 exam candidates were granted a concession because of a learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, or other special educational needs …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 20 October]
“Politicians should adopt a ‘Tallaght strategy’ approach to the introduction of third-level fees, former EU commissioner and attorney general Peter Sutherland has said. Re-election concerns should be placed to one side to bring about radical, if unpopular, change – similar to Fine Gael’s support of the economic policies of Fianna Fáil’s minority government from 1987 to 1989, he said. ‘Because of our history, we need a non-party political approach to dealing with the fees questions – a type of Tallaght strategy.’ Mr Sutherland was delivering the inaugural Erasmus lecture, organised by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), at Dublin’s City Hall yesterday evening …” (more)
[Mary Minhan, Irish Times, 18 October]
“Now that the details of the Budget and the Book of Estimates have become clearer, it is possible to say that, on the whole, it could have been worse. Even after all details have been accounted for, higher education will still have been treated less generously than primary or secondary, but that is often the case at times of pressure on public finances. It now appears that the revenues generated from the increased student registration charge will be available to the universities and colleges. This will mean that, overall, the aggregate income between fees, recurrent grant and registration charge will leave the universities with more or less the same income from the State as last year – which, however, means a cut in real terms of over 6 per cent …” (more)
[Ferdinand on Prondzynski, University Blog, 17 October]
“For those who want to see what the plans are the specific references to Higher Education in the Minister’s statement today include the following. The current estimates provision for higher education is €1,844m, compared with a 2008 estimate of €1,887m. The estimate allows for an increase in the student registration charge from €900 to up to €1,500 in individual institutions for the academic year 2009/2010. Third-level students entitled to a student support grant will remain exempt from paying the student registration charge …” (more)
[Summa cum laude, 14 October]
“It is probably better to comment in more detail on today’s announcement of the Budget for 2009 and the Book of Estimates after I have had an opportunity to study the fine print a little more. As far as I can see from the announcement by the Minister for Finance and the accompanying documentation, third level education has been hit in a number of ways – but we must await a more detailed explanation of some of the elements before we can offer a balanced assessment. The Education and Science vote as a whole did not fare too badly, with an increase over 2008 of 2.7 per cent. However, the allocations made through the HEA (i.e. the grants paid to universities and institutes of technology) have been cut in nominal terms by 2 per cent, which in real terms is a cut of not far off 10 per cent …” (more)
[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 14 October]
“IFUT has expressed dismay at the range and extent of cutbacks affecting education in Budget 2008. The Minister for Education, Mr Batt O’Keefe, TD, has displayed a lack of understanding and failed to impress on the Minister for Finance the importance of adequately funding education to promote economic and social development, IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings said …” (more)
[IFUT Blog, 14 October]
“The student registration charge will increase by roughly €600 to €1,500 from next September. However, Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe has signalled this is only an interim measure, pending the likely return of some form of college fees. In a significant move yesterday, the Minister said he has now been mandated by the Cabinet to bring forward proposals on tuition fees. These are expected to be ready within four months, probably early in the new year. It is expected a new fees regime will be in place by September of next year. This is likely to run in parallel with the student registration charge which will increase from an average of about €900 to €1,500 …” (more)
[Seán Flynn, Irish Times, 15 October]
“The cutting of child benefit payments to those over the age of 18 could exclude children from lower-income families from third-level education and may even prevent others from completing secondary school, children’s groups said yesterday. In his Budget, Brian Lenihan announced that benefit payments for all children over the age of 18, including the disabled, are to be abolished in 2010, and the payment is to be halved for the same age group for 2009 …” (more)
[Fiach Kelly, Independent, 15 October]
