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EDUCATION:Despite constant claims to the contrary from the heads of Irish univeristies, is the third-level sector really underfunded or is the problem something else?

WITH THE downturn in the economy, the higher education sector has come to prominence in public debate. It is portrayed as a potential saviour, a promoter of the "knowledge economy" and, conversely, as an underfunded sector in financial crisis. However, it is governance, not finance, that is the key challenge for this sector and for the innovation which it is expected to foster. From 5 per cent in 1970-1971 to 55 per cent in 2006-2007, participation rates in higher education have been a much reported "success story" of the boom years. In 2004 Ireland spent €7,445 per student on core educational services. Less than a quarter of this figure actually reaches classrooms - the majority being consumed by internal reallocation mechanisms.