Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Strategy for Higher Education


The Minister for Education & Science, Mr Batt O'Keeffe, has been saying all year that he is expecting the High Level Group on Higher Education Strategy to report to him before the end of this year. Will they? What will they say? Has the concession to the Green Party on fees upset the apple cart?
I've been having a look at the Higher Education Authority web-site www.hea.ie/ where all the submissions which have been made to that group are published both in full and in summary format. (The FUSE one is particularly good.)
There are a considerable number concerning WITs application to be designated as a University. Now more than ever we must not let this ball drop. In these straitened times when jobs are deserting the entire nation, that drop is being felt even more acutely in Waterford and the Southeast with the continued and accelerated haemorrage of jobs from our traditional sectors: manufacturing, construction & agriculture.
How long more does our city have to wait to get what is rightfully ours. How long more must we wait before we have have equity for our children and their children in this region?
How long more - having hurdled every obstacle to date - can we be denied what will so obviously allow us to contribute more to this small nation and her recovery?
Martin Cullen was rightfully proud of his achievement at the official opening of the magnificent new bridge and bypass recently. However it will be a hollow victory if all it is used for is to ferry away our youth, or our graduates or indeed, our jobs.
We have the infrastructure 90% in place and with the completion of the M9 next year (we hear) a huge challenge will be to ensure that a University is delivered. On the back of that delivery will follow investment, jobs, innovation, purchasing power, productivity and a better outlook for us all.
Surely these are noble aims to which we have a right to aspire. I look forward to the report of the High Level Group. It is frustrating to be so constantly thwarted when what we are aspiring to is so obviously the right thing, and our right.
But we must persevere and I hope and trust that the High Level Group will concur with all the Internationally renowned experts when they said that WIT is 'already operating at University level'.
So will we see the report before the end of the year? That's 52 days from today. I, for one, am counting.

3 comments:

Michael Lynagh said...

Hi Mary, is there any update on this? Has the High Level Group published the report yet, or has Batt O'Keeffe announced when it will be published?

The university campaign has gone very quiet of late; I supsect everyone is waiting on this report before stepping up the campaign again.

Mary Roche said...

Hi Michael,
The report, we hear, is delayed yet again until April at the earliest as far as I know now. Most people I speak to do not hold out much, if any, hope at all for the designation of WIT. However I remain obstinately optimistic - anything else I can't live with! Mary

Michael Lynagh said...

Thanks Mary.