Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am raising the need to address the issue around higher education funding being potentially lost to students who withdraw from their courses and the knock-on consequences that this will have not only for free fees - a term I use lightly - but also for their access to Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants.

There is a certain point, usually at the end of October, by which students must withdraw from their courses or serve notice that they do not wish to continue their learning if they want to be able to access learning the following year, still be able to get free fees and the like. I am concerned about this because this has been an extraordinary year. Students have had to adapt to new learning styles, as lecturers have had to adapt to new teaching styles. We have all had to adapt to a whole new system. I am concerned about the impact this will have on students, their interaction and the sense of the course they are undertaking. This is through no fault of their own. Neither is it through any fault of their lecturers, the support staff in the educational institutions or the State. The coronavirus happened and we have to make the best of it. There is an opportunity, however, to do something about it.

I do not need to go into too much about the consequences of dropping out from a course. There is no shame in dropping out of a course if it is not the right course for one. The knock-on consequences, however, for those who feel they have to drop out because of financial reasons or because the course was not right for them often mean they are not able to continue on with their learning. It is important that students have been able to leave courses before October which would not have a knock-on consequence for their education.

However, I have spoken to some people in the past while who just do not know. That is because they have not been able to get a sense of their course, themselves, their space or being, all of the things with which we are all trying to grapple too. These people are concerned about the consequences of either staying in a course that is wrong for them or staying in a course they simply should not be in and out of which they will not get any value. This also means there is a knock-on cost to the State and wider society. These people feel that if they bite the bullet and drop out, they will then lock themselves out of coming back next year to do a different course. They will also lock themselves out of being able to access the SUSI grant and other supports. There are also students for whom circumstances are changing dramatically. We still have coronavirus, people getting sick and knock-on consequences for families.

As it is an exceptional year, I am asking for exceptional leniency and understanding for the circumstances in which students may find themselves at the end of 2020 and in 2021 with their education. I have always said, both inside and outside Leinster House, that education is the great leveller. Both the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Harris, have also spoken about how education is a great leveller and that we need to work more on easing access to it. I am pleading with the Minister of State for understanding and leniency that we do not lock anyone out due to circumstances beyond his or her control this year and for exceptional understanding for exceptional circumstances.