Barriers to Third Level Education: Economic and Social Inequities in Ireland

Barrier to Third Level Education in Ireland: Economic Social Inequity e.g. class, ethnicity, disability Psychological Political These barriers do not stand alone. They are linked to each other. :

Economic: e.g. Costs of courses, fees Costs of accommodation and rent rises Privatization of student accommodation

Economic: https://www.zurich.ie/savings-and-investments/education-costs/college/ (Sourced 10.6.21)

Social Inequity e.g. class, ethnicity, disability. Supports for students with disabilities at third level have improved significantly, particularly with the introduction of DARE (Disability Access Route to Education), although there remains a long way to go before the number of students with disabilities going to college proportionately reflects the numbers in the general population. https://cc.careersportal.ie/disability/education_guide.php?ed _sub_cat_id=69&parent=19 (sourced 1.6.21)

Social Inequity e.g. class, ethnicity, disability. The latest revision to the student grant scheme for young people in direct provision means asylum seekers will no longer need to have completed the Leaving Cert or have spent three years in an Irish school to be able to apply for a student grant when moving into third level. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/asylum-seekers-without-leaving-cert-now- eligible-for-third-level-grant-1.4326085 (Sourced 10.6.21) Does Ireland have a diversity problem at third level? A new report shows there is just one full-time black female academic professor in Irish academia How many ethnic minority students go to college in Ireland? Nobody seems to know and it s putting a generation at risk of being left behind. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/does-ireland-have-a-diversity-problem-at- third-level-1.4416678 (Sourced 10.6.21.)

Social Inequity e.g. class, ethnicity, disability. Social inequity is compounded by the move to a more corporatist approach Overall, the community sector appears to take a more collective and social activist approach, while third level institutions increasingly lean towards a more corporatist approach to education. Such conflicts of interest present deep challenges to addressing equal access issues. https://www.ucc.ie/en/media/academic/appliedsocialstudies/docs/Claire- Dorrity-and-Nicola-Maxwell.pdf

Psychological not good enough not my entitlement Many who did not go on to college told the researchers that guidance at school was variously absent, only focused on certain student groups such as the honours class, and sometimes directed them away from higher education. Because their parents and, very often, their siblings did not have any third level experiences, these students also relied far more on the school supports to make their choices. From an ESRI study featured in the Irish Examiner (Sourced 10.6.21) https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20110664.html

Political: E.g. Interdepartmental Working Group on Student Accommodation From Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Last updated on 29 January 2021 Is there a political will to address these barriers? Is it enough? Is this tinkering at the edges? The link below takes you to a recent Dail motion that seeks radical reform to remove the barriers to third level education https://www.pbp.ie/people-before-profit-dail-motion-on- free-access-to-third-level-education-putting-government- under-pressure/

SHEPs Diploma on Social and Psychological Health Studies in partnership with University College Cork: An attempt to address the barriers: Creating and maintaining a space to provide opportunities for people who would face into some or all of these barriers. Bringing elements of experiential learning and participatory groupwork into a third level academic environment.

References/reading https://www.ucc.ie/en/media/academic/appliedsocialstu dies/docs/Claire-Dorrity-and-Nicola-Maxwell.pdf https://www.pbp.ie/remove-the-barriers-social-class-and- higher-education/ https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/breaking- barriers-supporting-students-with-disabilities-to-progress- to-university-1.4492722 https://www.teachingandlearning.ie/wp- content/uploads/Student-Success-Barriers-and- Facilitators.pdf