Ninth Level Ireland

“Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the practice of third-level institutions passing on student debt arising from unpaid fees to debt collectors; if he will introduce regulations to prevent the practice and to prevent the selling on of such debt to third-parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 1 December]

“Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the student protests which took place on 23 November 2021 led by a union (details supplied): the way he plans to reduce the cost of the student contribution and student accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 30 November]

“The third of three regional student protests campaigning against the cost of higher education took place last Wednesday in Galway. The Cost of College campaign, directed by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), aims to lobby the government for change in the cost of college fees for students in Ireland …” (more)

[Valerie McHugh, SIN, 30 November]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if students from universities in Northern Ireland were able to register for Erasmus for the winter semester of the 2021-2022 academic year; if they will be able to register in the summer semester; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 17 November]

“Sir, – Once again we appear to be going through the annual hand wringing exercise about the Leaving Cert (Letters, November 17th). This time however it may be preferable to consider the lessons of the pandemic, and avoid a clamour for solutions that increase rather than decrease the level of unfairness we subject second-level students to …” (more)

[Albert Winston, Irish Times, 19 November]

“Sir, – The Leaving Certificate is being examined by the Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education who have called upon senior academic and management heads to present their views. In their response the Irish Universities Association claimed the 2021 results raised considerable alarm among them with calls to ‘flatten the curve’ …” (more)

[Evelyn Mahon, Irish Times, 11 November]

“The presidents of Cork universities UCC and MTU have said third-level education has suffered from underinvestment in recent years and must be improved in order to generate significant returns for the Irish economy and wider society …” (more)

[Alan Healy, Irish Examiner, 10 November]

“Earlier today, the Union of Students Ireland (USI) issued a press release outlining the plans for three protests to take place on November 22, 23, and 24 in Dublin, Cork and Galway. These USI organised protests, called the ‘the Cost of College campaign’ will be held in opposition to the growing cost of higher education in Ireland …” (more)

[Kate Henshaw, Trinity News, 8 November]

“If you’re a student, parent or employer seeking urgent and sweeping changes to the Leaving Cert, then look away now. A major advisory report on proposals to reshape the senior cycle – due to be published by the Minister for Education shortly – advocates the kind of incremental reform that will likely take years to draw up, never mind fully implement …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 8 November]

“The Central Applications Office (CAO) points system will need to be revised to reflect a wider range of students’ skills and learning pathways, according to a major report on senior-cycle reform to be published shortly …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 8 November]

“Deputy Thomas Pringle has called on Government to address eligible income criteria for Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) special rate awards, saying many hard-pressed students and parents would benefit …” (more)

[Donegal Daily, 5 November]

“Universities must review the CAO points system to ensure it recognises a wider range of students’ skills or risk losing public funding, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has warned …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 4 November]

“Irish language groups and students are seeking maths-style CAO bonus points for the highest-achieving students in Gaeilge as part of a new plan for the subject at Leaving Cert …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 3 November]

“Some of the 70% of secondary students who enter higher education would be better suited to technical or vocational options, an Oireachtas committee has heard. Ireland currently has one of the highest rates of progression to third level in the world …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 2 November]

“UK universities are reaping a reverse ‘Brexit dividend’ with a sharp drop in the number of applications from EU students. The news leaves higher education in the U.K. bracing itself for a financial hit from the loss of international students, on top of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic …” (more)

[Nick Morrison, Forbes, 27 October]

“Universities say timelines for the release of Leaving Cert results are ‘no longer fit for purpose’ and want students to be issued their grades at the end of June, followed by college offers in July …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 18 October]

“Universities say timelines for the release of Leaving Cert results are ‘no longer fit for purpose’ and want students to be issued their grades at the end of June, followed by college offers in July. The Irish Universities Association – which represents eight of the largest universities – is also calling for an immediate end to ‘distorting’ grade inflation and a return to normal grade patterns …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 18 October]

“At lunchtime today, the main quad at TU Dublin’s new Grangegorman campus was buzzing with students. A welcome sight given the devastation of campus life last year. However, a lecturer who works at the college told me that the college is concerned that not all students are throwing themselves back into college life as they once would have …” (more)

[Emma O Kelly, RTÉ News, 14 October]

“The number of third level students being deemed eligible to receive State SUSI grants continues to fall, while numbers attending college continue to rise, data received by RTÉ News shows …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 14 October]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure continued access to third level for all students seeking to avail of third-level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 13 October]