Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the representatives of Hibernia College and thank them for outlining to us the developmental progress the college has made in recent years. The witnesses have highlighted a very interesting development in terms of how it is providing its educational programmes and the fact that web-based learning is a very significant element of those programmes.

Regarding the primary education qualification at postgraduate level, how does the cost compare with the cost of such courses in the State colleges? Is Hibernia College cheaper or more expensive? I presume 100% of the costs are covered by the students themselves. The supply and demand issue is often raised with regard to the development of web-based courses. Such courses are obviously more convenient and flexible in terms of being able to increase numbers, in comparison with the more traditional, college and classroom-based system. What is the college's view on the fact that there are many students graduating with primary level qualifications who are struggling to find jobs as a result of the increase in the pupil-teacher ratio in recent years? The number of children at primary level is expanding and an additional 10,000 pupils are expected to enter the primary school system this year. I ask the witnesses to comment on this. Is it an issue for the college's students? Is the college getting feedback from its graduates on this matter? Do the witnesses believe it is something that needs to be addressed? I also ask them to comment on actual employment numbers and the statistics for graduates of the college.

There is an interesting point here. The college is a private one and the student pays. The college is providing approximately 40% of the primary teaching graduates, yet the State is contributing to the teacher training colleges through the universities. That is an interesting dynamic. With teacher training, the main objective is to produce teachers who are able to train in the classroom. As a lay person, one would expect it to be one of the courses in which one would expect far more contact time being required with the student to ensure they are well qualified as teachers at the end of the course. Ultimately, we are trying to train them to have the ability to impart knowledge to students and to get their message across. If the medium of the web is involved in much of the education Hibernia College is providing, I am interested to hear the witness's thoughts on how that impacts on educator training in general.

I am interested in hearing about the college's experience of how it developed its courses, not just in education but across the broader range as was outlined in the presentation. What impact does the college believe web-based learning can have in the wider education system in future? The college has been to the forefront in developing that and obviously that is the way our education system will increasingly be developing in the future. How does the college envisage the delivery of education, particularly at third level, and the development of that aspect over the coming years?