Higher Education

There is a massive corporatisation of the third level sector. This has resulted in corporate management methods and academics have seen authority ceded to external ‘stakeholders’, i.e. multinational corporations. The structure and content of degrees is changing from broader general academic studies to modular programmes which deliver specific skill learning and outcomes, devised to enhance ‘human capital’ for employers.

People Before Profit believes in a more critical university and information technology system with collaboration between students, lectures and other members of the staff. We would give employees more autonomy and reduce the bureaucratisation of the university system.

Beyond this access is the key issue. People Before profit believes that university education should be free and that nobody should be put off going to college for lack of money. We will therefore

  • Abolish all fees. Currently, the ‘registration fee’ has been steadily increased so that, in reality, it has become a new fee.
  • Restore proper maintenance grants. To guarantee access to students from low income backgrounds we would restore proper maintenance grants.
  • Extend the back to education scheme. We need more investment in third level education to allow people to retrain.
  • Improve accommodation. Subsidise accommodation for students who have to travel to go to university.
  • Create new staff structures. Increase the role of lecturing and no lecturing staff in managing the university. One year sabbatical scheme to be made available to teachers to engage in upskilling/professional development/education
  • Create new student structures. Increase the role of students in managing the university.
  • Reduce corporate influence on research. Redirect money from giving R&D tax credits corporations to the university sector in order to do blue sky research. 

Educators

Education is one of the most important roles in any society. To make sure people want to go into the profession People Before Profit would reverse the cuts to education imposed by successive governments.

We would also end the scandal of pay inequity and make teachers more responsible for curriculum development and school management. Beyond this we would

  • Reverse the increase in formal working hours imposed on teachers and SNAs through the imposition of “Croke Park hours”.
  • Support teachers in their fight to end pay apartheid.
  • Fully funded professional development for teachers to meet the challenge of curricular changes and developments in the use of ICT
  • Restore the compulsory retirement age to 65 and reinstate early retirement schemes.