"Free" Education?

Imagine, for a moment, the recession. Not a pretty sight, eh. Now, what would be an obvious answer to ending the recession and getting our economy back on track? Some people would say investment, others would say new government polices. Underlying both answers is the need to have a good education. Therefore, from that, one could assume that education is the real answer to the problem that is the current economic crises. In addition, logic would then dictate that the more people who have access to education, the better. So, why not have free education?

In 1995, the Fine Gael – Labour Coalition in Ireland introduced the “Free Fees Initiative”. This initiative’s main aim was to provide a way for disadvantaged secondary students who did well in their final exams to go to University. It proved a hit. One could argue that it was with the FFI that the Celtic Tiger picked up the pace, having started a few years earlier. This scheme enabled more students to go to University or College, get a degree and get a good job. This not only boosted the economy, but also attracted investors and put more income tax into the government coffers. Ireland roared into the 21st Century.

Then comes along 2008/2009 and the worldwide economic downturn. The Irish government had to cut budgets somewhere. And, in 2008, it emerged that a possible area that would be scrapped to save pennies was the FFI. Outrage. In addition, to make matters worse, it seemed, the Universities backed this idea. This was because they were loosing money. Not much, mind you, but enough for the Presidents of the various Universities in Ireland to become quite unpopular. Of course, students went on strike and, of course, no one listened.

Adding insult to injury, in August 2009, the Minister for Education – Batt O’Keefe – wrote a letter to each University asking each of them to tell their students that in 2010 there was a strong possibility that they would have to pay fees. The final nail in the coffin, perhaps?

Not exactly. You see, oh readers of international origins, Universities were never actually “free” for students. The government paid for tuition fees, yes, but non-tuition fees and student levies, which were compulsory, still had to be paid by students and their families. On top of this, students had to pay for lodgings, or digs, during their academic year. In addition, during the Celtic Tiger, housing prices soared thereby causing house owners to up the annual rent for these digs. Books often came to about €1000. In total, one had to pay about €5,000.

However, if the Government re-introduce fees, in order to attend University, a student would have to put another 6k on top. And considering a degree could average about 4 years, that is €44,000 to go to University. That is what people are complaining about. It’s not that they were going to University for free in the first place, they weren’t – they did have to pay. What they are protesting about is the fact that they have to pay more. Moreover, what makes them even angrier is that the Government expect these people to eventually fix the economy with jobs attainable only by University qualifications.

In plain English, the Government are going to make them pay more to get qualified to get a job. And then, when they get that job, the Government are going to make them pay more in taxes. And, while the government are taking all this money, they expect these people to fix the country’s economy. The Government are asking a bit much, don’t you think?

This realisation was the final nail in the coffin. Mass strikes for students are being organised across the country. They’re not saying we don’t want to pay for University, they know people need to be paid and such, what they’re saying is that they don’t want to have to pay ridiculous amounts. And who can blame them? The Government aren’t going to use their money to put back into the colleges. The Government will use their extra money to fix the mess they put the country in.

I say back the students. I say strike. It is time the Government realised that they are only a government by the people, a government of the people and a government for the people. If they want to stay in power, they would want to work for the people – going against their wishes is the exact opposite.