Motion no: 15
Conference notes that one of the great benefits of devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has been the ability to improve access to third level education. In this, Scotland led the way by abolishing student fees, something which UCU fully supports for all regions. Here in Northern Ireland, proposals to remove the cap on student fees were resisted by UCU Branches at the two universities and Training Colleges and rejected by an independent inquiry in 2010. UCU, along with NUS/USI and the students’ unions in both Universities led the successful campaign to ‘keep the Cap on fees’. Conference also reiterates its opposition to crippling student fees and fully supports those ongoing campaigns which seek to abolish tuition fees in their entirety.
Conference welcomes the return of devolved government at Stormont after a three year hiatus but is disappointed by the DUP Leader, Arlene Foster’s unilateral and unprompted suggestion that higher tuition fees should once again be on the agenda for debate. Student fees are currently £4,275 per annum. Conference notes that students borrowing money to pay these fees have interest added from day one. Once the student graduates and earns about 2/3 of the median full-time wage, that loan has be paid back at the rate of 9% of income above the threshold.
Conference agrees that lifting or abolishing the cap on tuition fees is not a fair way to fund university education and any proposal to raise fees will make things worse for existing and prospective students. Conference notes the numerous reports over recent years which have highlighted the fact that the introduction of tuition fees discourages young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and those from marginalised communities and areas of multiple deprivation. Research has also demonstrated the growing problem of educational underachievement of working class protestant boys. Any attempt to raise tuition fees will only add a further financial obstacle against attempts to reach out to everyone across the whole community, regardless of their background. Third level education should never be the preserve of the elite.
Conference notes that the industrial base that once sustained employment for many in Northern Ireland is largely gone. If we want to construct a shared and prosperous future for young people we must equip them with the education and skills they need without crippling them with debt. Compared to other European countries, fees in Northern Ireland are already high.
Conference accepts that the largely English system of lending students relatively large amounts of money to pay high fees is neither fair nor efficient, and seeks only to create the space for private ‘for profit’ providers who care little about the educational welfare or achievement of young people and students.
Conference applauds the work undertaken to date by the NUS/USI and others, including UCU, to protect access to university education for all and fully supports the ongoing campaign to resist any attempts by the Assembly to impose greater financial burden on students through abolishing the cap on tuition fees.
Conference reiterates its support for free third level education for all.
