http___www.universitytimes.ie_2016_05_ni-reiteofar-an-iomarca-fadhbanna-san-ardoideachas-tri-thailli-an-mhic-leinn-a-ardu__1.xml
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This week, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform produced a report concluding that increasing student fees to €4,000 year would not be sufficient to plug the higher education funding gap – a gap that is only worsening and which recently saw a state body claim could have “serious and irretrievable implications” for the “future sustainability” of third-level institutions. The ongoing funding problem in Irish higher education is serious and urgent, and the options presented for solving it – whether that’s student loans or a fully state-funded system – represent different ideological positions on the solution. Those opposed to a system of increased fees fear that even a small increase in fees now will result in more increases over time. Indeed, that is precisely what happened with the student contribution charge, and what seems to already be suggested with this latest report. It would be one thing if we could point to a magic figure that would fix the system, leaving it world-class. But a glance at the higher education system across the Irish Sea suggests that this number does not exist, or is simply extortionately high. The issues that plague the Irish system continue to damage the English system, despite student fees of £9,000 a year – the highest figure in the EU. Just this week, lecturers across the UK, with the University and College Union, took industrial action over a pay dispute, prompted by the decline in their pay since 2009, the precarious nature of academic work and the pay gap between genders. Not only do these issues persist despite the size of their student fees, but many are the result of taking the wrong approach to supporting the work of a university, not just a lack of funding. The allure of raising fees becomes a crutch that accommodates stagnant institutions and allows operating costs to soar. Forcing students to step in and pay when the government is not willing is not only unfair, but unlikely to solve many of the problems that are crippling the sector. Too many of these problems cannot simply be fixed by throwing money at them.
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Le linn na seachtaine, rinne an Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe tuairisc a mhínigh nach mbeadh méadú táillí an mhic léinn go 4,000 sa bhliain dothánach chun an t-easnamh i maoiniú ardoideachais a réiteach – easnamh atá ag dul go mór in olcas. Leoga, áitíonn comhlacht stáit le déanaí gur féidir go mbeadh “impleachtaí tromchúiseacha agus doleigheasta” i ndán do “inbhuanaíocht todhchaí” institiúidí ardoideachais. Is práinneach agus tromchúiseach atá an fhadhb maoinithe leanúnach in ardoideachas na hÉireann, agus ionadaíonn an rogha córais chun í a réiteach – cé acu iasachtaí mac léinn nó córas lán-mhaoinithe ag an stát atá i gceist – suíomhanna idé-eolaíochta difriúla. Tá eagla ar a bhfuil i gcoinne córais le táillí níos airde go gcothódh méadú beag sna táillí anois méaduithe níos mó sa todhchaí. Leoga, sin a tharla le táille ranníocaíochta an mhic léinn, agus a bhfuil, de réir dealramh, i ndán ó fhianaise na tuairisce seo. Scéal difriúil a bheadh ann dá mbeadh uimhir draíochta ann a réiteodh gan amhras an córas. Ach, tar éis sracfhéachaint a thabhairt ar an gcóras ardoideachais ar an taobh eile de Mhuir Éireann, tá an chuma ar an scéal nach bhfuil an uimhir sin ann, nó go bhfuil sé i bhfad ró-fhada, dothomaiste b’fhéidir. Tá na fhadhbanna chéanna a dhéanann dochar don chóras Éireannach i láthair sa chóras Sasanach freisin, in ainneoin táillí bhliantúla de 9,000, an ceann is airde san Eoraip. Le linn na seachtaine, thosaigh léachtóirí ar fud na Ríochta Aontaithe, leis an Aontas Ollscoile agus Coláiste gníomhaíocht thionsclaíoch de bharr coimhlinte faoi phá, agus is iad an meath ina bpá ó 2009, a n-obair neamhchinnte agus difríocht pá idir na hinscní. Ní hamhain go leanann na fadhbanna sin ar aghaidh in ainneoin na dtáillí ard, ach is iomaí acu atá cruthaithe ag cur chuige mícheart maidir le tacaíocht a thabhairt d’obair ollscoile, comh maith le ganntanas airgid. Déantar ardú táillí an-mhealltach mar thaca a chothaíonn institiúidí marbhánta agus a ligeann do chostais oibriúcháin dul in airde. Ní hamháin go bhfuil sé míchothrom ról íocaíochta a thabhairt do mhic léinn nuair atá toil an rialtais in easnamh, ach ní dócha go réiteoidh sé sin an chuid is mó dena fadhbanna atá ag crá is ag creimeadh an earnáil sin. Ní réiteofar mórán dena fadhbanna sin trí airgead a chaitheamh orthu.