Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister for this debate concerning matters that must be addressed for third level institutions, PLCs and the issue of league tables.

One of the issues the Bill seeks to address is the use of the term "university" outside of the State. To clarify, one of my colleagues mentioned that the Bill was not on the timetable last week for debate this week, but it was. The Bill provides for the Minister to authorise the use of the term "university" outside of the State while also providing for the withdrawal of the use of the term and the creation of an appeals board regarding the withdrawal of authorisation or refusal of authorisation. Eligible institutions must have authorisation to make their own awards; provide a doctoral degree which is recognised through the National Framework of Qualifications; and 40% of their student population must be non-EU citizens who are lawfully resident in the country with the primary purpose of their residency being education and training. The authorisation by the Minister for the use of the term "university" will be for specific purposes, and the use of "university" would only apply to outside of the State. The use of the term would be restricted to the marketing of programmes for education and training or research services by the educational provider or the entering into an arrangement with any person outside of the State for participation on a collaborative project relating to the provision of programmes.

The programme for Government has set out to encourage more international students to study in Ireland and to create new jobs in the sector. It is important that we continue to attract international students to Ireland while also prioritising our reputation and maintaining the high quality education provided to all of our students. We often hear the word "globalisation". It is important that we remain connected with international partners while also capitalising on the terrific in-demand programmes that are run in colleges and universities across the country. The international education system in Ireland is a sector of our economy worth an estimated €1 billion and it is supportive of direct and indirect employment. A number of surveys undertaken abroad have highlighted our country as one of the best places in the world in which to study. Ireland has a tremendous reputation for education abroad and it is important that we maintain that reputation and continue to provide the same high level of education and training for our students at home.

While the Bill does not include institutes of technology for consideration, it is important to mention the excellent education and training our institutes of technology provide. Dundalk Institute of Technology has educated thousands of Irish and international students over the years who, upon graduation, entered the workforce as highly trained and well equipped jobseekers with the right skills. Dundalk Institute of Technology not only provides an excellent education but also an overall great experience for students.

The Bill also addresses the issue with freedom of information legislation and the partial exemption for schools run by education and training boards. Essentially, the Bill seeks to protect certain data that may lead to the creation of league tables. Like my colleagues, I agree with this. The concept of league tables has crept in and even though they are not supposed to be there, they are. However, some of the records we get are not a true reflection.

I will digress briefly and raise an issue that has been brought to my attention. It is something happening in schools which shocked me when it was reported to me. Somebody who was applying for a position in a school told me that one of the criteria for getting an interview was that they must sit a leaving certificate paper and get an A1 in the paper. That is totally undermining our third level institutions. I have great difficulty with it. I have heard of two cases in the last week where a school has given prospective teachers a leaving certificate paper in whatever subject they teach, telling them they were expected to get an A1. Surely we have enough faith in our third level colleges, the quality of our degrees and our education system that we can accept it that when teachers graduate with their degrees they are well and truly prepared to teach the young.

I totally agree that the creation of league tables is not reflective of the important work of schools in the area of special needs. Students' results should not be the only criterion on which we gauge the success of a school. In this regard, the Bill has been welcomed by education partners. I certainly welcome the provision. While I appreciate that I am digressing, I would appreciate the Minister's comments on that.