By James Redmond
The World Trade Organisation's General Agreement On Trades and Services,
where government is forced to create an 'equal playing field' through the
removal of 'barriers to trade' in the services industries has long been the
subject of the anti-capitalist lefts' rhetoric and polemic. Barriers cited
by the WTO include "the existence of government monopolies and high
subsidisation of local institutions”. It is in this context of attacks on
public services that the Irish Government has raised the student
registration fees by 70% from 396 euros to 670 euros.
As part of his first significant moves as the new Education Minister, Noel
Dempsey has also increased the standard maintenance grant by a pathetic 5%,
representing an increase to 2,510 euro a year. A rise which will barely
cover the projected rate of inflation for 2002, and go no where near
tackling the tackling the huge discrepancy between the real cost of
attending college, judged by the Irish Times today to be in excess of '6000
Euro for Arts, law and business courses, 8000 euro for science courses and
9000 for engineering courses' and the amount received by students on the
grant. It is perhaps the most cynical aspect of Dempsey’s move that he has
attempted to disguise it in a facade of social inclusion. Increasing and
extending the 'top up grant' for more disadvantaged students, on the same
day that he has almost doubled the student registration fee. The
reintroduction of tuition fees in Britain upon the election of New Labour
was also dressed up in the rhetoric of wealth distribution and social
inclusion.
In a press release responding to the Ministers Announcement, President of
the spineless bureaucracy and talking shop that is the Union Of Students of
Ireland, Colm Jordon described how 'It is little surprise that the
Department chose to bury this news on a low key Friday morning in July when
students are on a seasonal break rather than at a time when they can vent
their fury at this disingenuous move.' In a way it is perhaps fortunate
for many of those holding office in Student Unions across the country, that
the government has decided to make its move at such an opportune moment,
when students bodies are broken up. President of UCD Students Union Aonghas
Hourihane, best known for using the national media to air his support for
the Garda violence and state repression which plagued the May 6th Reclaim
the Streets Party on Dame Street, expressed disappointment at the rise in
registration fees, but welcomed the rise in the grant. It was the UCD SU,
which put forward the motion at USI National Congress two years ago which
saw the cancellation of the effective campaign of demonstrations,
occupations and days of action, which saw the government concede an
additional top up grant and a five percent, increase in 2001. UCD SU is
effectively in boycott of USI, after a co-ordinated attempt to sabotage the
national union by abolishing many of the key full time positions within it,
by Fianna fail controlled unions was set back by a number of months. USI
have said they will make a 'comprehensive response to these announcements’,
which will probably result in nothing more than another press release.
In the framework of GATS, free fees for undergraduates and the grant are
defined as discriminatory payments and are being slowly phased out as
governments across the world implement GATS. Jordon is correct to point out
in his press release that Dempsey’s move represents an attempt to 'introduce
fees by the back door'. Students in Spain have already fallen victim to the
extensive intrusion of the private sector into education, with the right
wing government’s introduction of the LOU and they have responded with a
series of waves of protest. European student groups, networking over the
Internet and outside the official structures of their unions if needs be,
have been engaged in a 'Hot Summer Of Protest' against attacks on
education. In one example of the anger among continental students, on June
18 following a wave of occupations and decentralised protests 8,000 students
stormed the regional parliament of the German state of
North-Rhein-Westphalia.. Student blocs have been organised at
the past two EU Summits, as opposition rises to the EU Commissions
implementation of the Bologna Declaration of 1998, which seeks to pave the
way to a uniform system of higher education, all in the vein of
privatisation.
Education in Ireland too is facing into a period of major restructuring and
change. Despite claims made by successive governments about improving access
to third level education, not a lot as changed since the abolition of
college fees in 1995. The refusal to significantly extend the ridiculously
low income threshold which determines if a student receives the grant means
that only 37 per cent of university students and 47 per cent of students (to
use Minister Dempsey’s figures) in ITs receive financial support from the
government. The composition of those attending third level education hasn't
seen any significant change despite the creation of free education' at third
level. In fact the past decade has only seen a 0.02% rise in the number of
disadvantaged students reaching third level. It is a harsh reality, that
those with most to gain from campaigning and fighting for a decent
accessible education system are not those already in third level education
but the hundreds of thousands of secondary students and young workers who
will never reach third level because of the financial impediments maintained
by successive governments. The attitude that dominates many of those holding
office in student unions is that concern should not stretch beyond those
already in college. Any attempt to broaden the horizon of student unions is
met with declarations that they are strictly apolitical bodies, with a
leadership more concerned with maintaining services on campus, than tackling
the educational disadvantage that ensures those same campuses remain the
sole reserve of the lucky few. Those in the positions of most influence in
Unions are only to willing to admit their complete ignorance of issues like
GATS and privatisation and when forced to act will dismiss and whitewash
concern as the paranoia of the Looney left.
The Skilbeck report issued by the Higher Educational Authority a number of
months ago gives ominous signals for the direction of Irish Education,
recommending among many things the abolition of the grant, re-introduction
of tuition fees, increased links with industry and increased use of money
from the private sector to fund education. A similar move by the government
in 72-73 when the attendance fees were raised from £87 to £105 led to a
weeklong occupation of Earlsfort Terrace. A rise in capitation fees in the
early 90s also led to a 100 strong-attempted occupation of the UCD
Administration building. The Skilbeck report didn't cause many in leading
student union positions to bat an eyelid. The main organised criticism in
UCD came from the SIPTU Education Branch there and not from the student
union. A poll on http://www.usi.ie perhaps confirms many things, despite the
development of the anti-capitalist movement here; student activism is not as
strong as it once was. The majority of students today are engaged in a very
different kind of struggle, and that is the struggle for economic survival.
Related Articles
Irish Times, College charges set to increase by almost 70%
USI, Dempsey criticised for back door fees hike
International Pupil & Student Actions, Massive studentstrike in Spain
GATS, US denounces .protectionism. of European education market
