Third-level colleges should be more accountable to the taxpayer and their management style may need to be modernised, according to the Department of Education submission to an OECD review of the sector.
In the document the Department makes the case for a radical shake-up in the management of the colleges. Instead of governing bodies dominated by academic interests, it wants more modern, corporate management.
Governing structures, it says, should reflect "modern best practice corporate governance arrangements for organisations operating in internationally competitive environments".
The submission makes no explicit case for the return of college fees which is known to be supported by the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey.
But it does point out that the proportion of college funds drawn from the taxpayer (82 per cent for the universities and 90 per cent for the institutes) is high, compared to comparable OECD states. It points out the abolition of fees in 1995 has resulted in much greater funding by the Exchequer.
The submissions asks a range of questions including:
Is the increased dependence on Exchequer sources of funding in recent years appropriate?
How can diversification of funding sources be supported; what further funding sources can be further exploited?
Are the current accountability structures and processes appropriate?
Are we getting sufficient value for money for the current investment?
Are access strategies (for lower socio-economic groups) sufficiently developed?
According to education sources the submission reflects unease within the Department about the low number of teaching hours worked by some college staff.
The submission also says there has been "a blurring of distinction" between the roles of the seven universities and the 14 institutes of technology (ITs) in recent years. It makes the case for much closer co-operation between the various colleges with each one working to overall national economic and social objectives.
The OECD review, the most comprehensive review of the third-level sector in a generation, is expected to report within months. It is widely expected to propose the return of fees and/or warn that the sector is facing a budgetary crisis. The report may also herald major streamlining across the sector.
The review team is made up of former education ministers from three continents and other experts.