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The Oireachtas Education and Skills Committee is lucky. With a world-class report at their fingertips and the complete confidence of the Minister for Education and Skills, they have the complete freedom to reimagine Irish higher education. It can be changed to anything they want. Both the Minister and the report’s author, Peter Cassells, have given them complete discretion over whatever “hybrid” model they choose to develop as they consider the report. Yet, judging by discussions this week, the committee is more likely to churn out a Frankenstein’s monster than a coherent hybrid suitable for Irish higher education. While the committee seemed to oppose the introduction of an income-contingent loan scheme, it would be more accurate to say they failed to grasp how such a mechanism might work. It would be unfair to suggest that some members of the committee hadn’t read the report too closely, but much of the meeting was nevertheless reminiscent of students trying to get through a tutorial relying on a “Sparknotes” summary. Many of the questions made it difficult not to lose faith in the whole process. Asking how long it might take to repay a loan based on an individual’s unique income is not a helpful query. And when members asked for examples of loan schemes that work or don’t work internationally, one could have simply directed them to pages 27-35 of the report. Prof Nicholas Barr, who helped design the 2006 English loan scheme system, has told this paper that loan schemes require a “big political champion” to sell them. Looking around the committee room, there didn’t seem to be anyone willing to take up that mantle. Yet a publicly funded system would require considerable tax increases. During the meeting, as Cassells spoke, there seemed to be a dawning realisation that the committee were dealing with an issue that required a big, grown-up debate beyond the confines of Leinster House. You could almost hear their hearts racing at the thought. Chair of the committee, Fiona O’Loughlin, asked Cassells how the value of higher education might be sold to the public. For that, he had no answers. If we do want to hear that argument from the Oireachtas Education and Skills Committee, we shouldn’t hold our breath.
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Tá ádh ar an gCoiste Oideachais agus Scileanna san Oireachtas. Le tuairisc den scoth ina lámha acu agus muinín iomlán an Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna iontu, tá saoirse mhór acu ardoideachas na hÉireann a athchruthú ina iomlán. Is féidir leo cibé córas a theastaíonn uathu a chur i bhfeidhm. Tá idir an tAire agus údar na tuairisce, Peter Cassells, tar éis indéantacht cibé “córas hibrideach” a theastaíonn uathu a chur faoi lánrogha an choiste agus iad ag cur is ag cúiteamh faoin tuairisc. Áfach, más ar a phléadh le linn na seachtaine a bhuneofaí an breithiúnas, tá sé níos dóichí go gcruthódh an coiste arrachtach Frankenstein in áit córas comhleanúnach a bheadh oiriúnach d’ardoideachas na hÉireann. Cé go raibh a chuma ar an scéal go raibh an coiste i gcoinne scéime iasachtaí ioncam-teagasmhacha, b’fhéidir go mbeadh sé níos cruinne a rá nár thuig na polaiteoirí ar an gcoiste conas a oibreodh cóíras den saghas sin. Ní bheadh sé cothrom a rá nach raibh an tuairisc Cassells léite ag roinnt ball an choiste, ach chuirfeadh an cruinniú i gcuimhne duit íomhá cúpla mac léinn ag iarraidh dul i ngleic le rang éigin agus iad ag brath ar an achoimre “Sparknotes.” De bharr cuid de na ceisteanna a chuireadh, bhí sé deacair gan gach muinín a chailleadh sa phróiseas. Ní cabhrach an cheist faoin méid ama a bheadh ag teastáil chun iasacht a aisíocadh de réir a ioncaim féin ar chor ar bith. Agus nuair a bhí baill an choiste ag iarraidh samplaí de thíortha inar oibrigh an scéim go maith agus tíortha ina raibh sé go holc, bheadh sé níos éasca leathanaigh 27-35 den uarisic a chur faoi bhráid acu. Tá sé ráite ag an Ollamh Nicholas Barr, a chabhraigh le cur le chéile an scéim atá i bhfeiudhm i Sasana faoi láthair leis an nuachtán seo go bhfuil “mór-churadh polaitiúil” chun iad a dhíoladh. Tar éis sracfhéachana ar sheomra an choiste, níl duine ar bith le feiceáil atá chun an ról sin a ghlacadh. Áfach bheadh méadú suntasach cánacha riachtanach ag teastáil chun córas maoinithe go poiblí. Le linn an chruinniú, agus Cassells ag labhairt, dealraigh sé go raibh na polaiteoirí ag tabhairt faoi deara go raibh díospóireacht chaolchúiseach agus tábhachtach taobh amuigh de Theach Laighean ag teastail chun dul i ngleic leis an bhfadhb seo. Bhí tú in ann a gcroíthe beaga ag bualadh níos tapúla agus iad ag smaoineamh air sin. D’iarr Fiona O’Loughlin, cathaoirleach an choiste ar Cassells conas a chuirfí luach ardoideachais in iúl don phobal. Faoi seo, ní raibh freagra ar bith aige. Má tá an argóint sin a chloisteáil ó Choiste an Oireachtais d’Oideachais agus Scileanna uainn, ní dhealraíonn sé go mbeidh sé go luath.