The Border through academia

For many third-level students, spending up to a year abroad in European universities, as part of their undergraduate programmes, has become the norm.

Very few students, however, traverse the Border to spend time in educational institutions. Many Irish undergraduates are more familiar with France, Spain or Germany than they are with parts of the island on which they live.

It's a fact which is highlighted by the TUI in its discussion document on North/South education co-operation, launched at the union's annual conference in Tralee last week.

The document quotes Dr Dominic Murray, UL's professor of peace and development studies, who points out that "the different curricular requirements at A Level and Leaving Certificate, and the different UCAS and CAO systems of third-level entry, continue to impede a natural mobility of students across the border".

To encourage greater co-operation and understanding between third-level institutions North and South, the TUI proposes the establishment of a third-level North/South bilateral exchange programme, similar to the EU's Erasmus and Socrates programmes. The TUI also suggests the establishment of a North/South council of education unions.

"This forum," it says, "would provide an opportunity for the unions to co-operate in a meaningful and unprecedented manner on a range of issues which affect teachers and educational provision across the island of Ireland".

In the document, the TUI also says that it will seek the support of other education unions to help secure the transfer of pension rights between the two jurisdictions. The feasibility of transferring teachers' pension rights between this State and Britain is already under consideration, the document notes. Greater co-operation is also necessary at school level, the TUI says. Every second-level school should be given the opportunity to link with a parallel school in the other jurisdiction, the discussion document recommends, suggesting the NCCA and the NCVA develop and co-ordinate initiatives in specific subjects, modules and cross-curricular areas.

According to Jim Dorney, general secretary of the TUI, educational cross-Border co-operation is in its infancy and currently is left to individual teachers.

This document, he say, "is the start of something historic for teacher unions in this country".