Seanad debates

Thursday, 24 September 2020

Safe Reopening of Tertiary Sector and Key Priorities for Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Statements

 

10:30 am

Photo of Pauline O'ReillyPauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the Minister of State and I congratulate him on his appointment. This has been an incredibly difficult year for young people, especially the cohort of first-year students, and also those who are working and not in third level institutions. It is quite right that we acknowledge that not everybody goes from second to third level. We are here today to talk about that cohort of people in third level who had certain expectations. They had expectations that they would try their best to do the leaving certificate and that they would go to college and have the social experience that all of us, but particularly young people, need in order to learn in the best possible way. We talk a great deal about education feeding into us, as human beings, but it is really the other way around: it is us, as a society, who feed into these Departments and say what it is that we want from the education system. That is why I go back to one of the commitments in the programme for Government I was very keen to have included, namely, to convene the Citizens' Assembly in order that it might consider the issue of education. We can include third level education in that as well. Now that our society has changed in the most incredible ways, we can decide what we want from third level institutions.

One of the measures in the programme for Government that has been mentioned by some of my colleagues is apprenticeships. Having spoken to the presidents of some universities, I am of the view that we have an opportunity to diversify and that third level institutions which previously did not offer apprenticeships but which have the capacity, experience and knowledge to do so could now do so.For instance, in Galway we are experts in marine sciences. We know we must move towards protecting our marine environment, where apprenticeship opportunities exist. We have an opportunity to facilitate the greening of third level institutions because there is funding available from Europe for capital projects. Let us draw down that funding immediately for the purposes of greening - I refer to things like electric vehicle charging points and solar and wind power - thereby helping our third level institutions to be world leaders.

The issue of SUSI grants arises all of the time. We need ways to fund institutions and we need to ensure everyone has access to third level education. I have been very critical of the overemphasis in other jurisdictions, such as the UK and the US, on an industry-led approach to third level education. When such an approach is pursued, as a people we lose control of the direction in which society is going. We are being directed by particular corporations on what people should learn and on what is valuable and important.

The Cassells report has been mentioned. We need to see the implementation of some of the funding models. More than ever, people expect that the State will take care of its people. It is our job to fund these institutions so I welcome the announcement that funding will be provided. Our job now is to fund these institutions.

I thank the Minister, Deputy Harris, for attending the launch of the active consent toolkit in Galway yesterday. NUI Galway has led the way on consent. Earlier this year, it conducted a survey that shows we have much further to go. We often talk about young people having an issue with consent. Young people have been surveyed and we have found out what they think about consent. There is a wider societal issue here. Young people are leading the way by feeding into the active consent toolkit and showing us what they need to learn. In turn, they are showing us what we all need to learn about having mutual respect and respecting other people's bodies and mental health.

The question of student retention in first year relates to mental health. When people commence university or any third level education, they put their best foot forward. With the best will in the world, if students are living alone in an apartment for which they have paid over the odds and if they are in college for just three hours a week, like some of the first years I know, there is a need to invest heavily in their mental health and the kind of social experience they receive. Part of the answer involves looking at finances. I take issue with some of the guidelines. If someone can have other people in their homes when they are off campus, the Department should examine whether we need to micromanage on-campus accommodation to see whether a young person can have another person in his or her apartment.

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