Focus on short term concerns leave systemic problems unaddressed
Education Futures has responded to measures announced in Tuesday’s budget by highlighting the focus on short term concerns over long-term problems.
Chair of Education Futures, Kevin Donoghue, said “we have made tentative steps in the right direction on a couple of things. In particular the new measures regarding post-graduate grants should be welcomed and there is potential in the review of SUSI.”
He continued “however there is not much by way of tackling substantive and systemic problems in the sector from a student or worker’s perspective.”
The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) welcomed the allocation of €3.3b. to higher education in today’s Budget, but “after a decade of neglect, the sector must be included centrally in the government’s Recovery Fund next year to allow a return to sustainable education,” Joan Donegan, General Secretary of IFUT said.
President of the Union of Students in Ireland, Lorna Fitzpatrick, welcomed the inclusion of a €250 one off payment for students but said “I think the broader message throughout the Budget today is that there was very little done to address the systemic issues… affecting people in higher education.”
Dr Aidan Kenny TUI noted that additional funding was welcome however, there will be a requirement for significant additional funding over the next number of years to cater for the expansion of Further Education and Higher Education to meet the skills demands including apprenticeship and research and innovation.
