The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has welcomed the Tánaiste’s confirmation that third level fees will be not introduced for the lifetime of the current government. The union, which represents teachers and lecturers in second level, further and higher education, is now calling on all parties to not introducing fees.
Speaking this afternoon, TUI General Secretary Peter MacMenamin said:
“We welcome Minister Coughlan’s confirmation of the commitment enshrined in the latest Programme for Government. It is now important that all political parties make their commitment clear and we call on them to do so.
In the current climate, parents need the security of knowing that their children will have the continued right to a free third level education and that all political parties espouse this ideal. They are already paying substantial sums each year by way of the student registration fee. Studies show that third level participation greatly increased with the removal of tuition fees. Any revision of this position would be retrogressive and hugely damaging to generations of young people.
TUI believes that any re-introduction of tuition fees would be yet another crude taxation measure and would serve no educational purpose. In fact, we believe it is extremely doubtful that third level institutions would benefit in any meaningful way from their introduction.”