Dear Editor,

In Christina Murphy's article of April 23rd, "All change for the RTCs", she reported comments attributed to representatives of the RTCs concerning their relationship with the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA).

Those comments included one that NCEA "has expanded in recent years to take private third level colleges and a whole series of what the RTCs would see as fringe colleges under its remit". Further, you cited a widespread feeling among the RTCs that NCEA is "devaluing the currency of RTC courses by spreading itself so widely". May I bake the following observations on behalf of the members of the Higher Education Colleges Association, all of them designated independent third level colleges under the aegis of NCEA, and between them providing a wide range of NCEA validated programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level

1) What arrogance on the part of the RTCs! Have they forgotten that NCEA was not set up exclusively to deal with them? There are 46 NCEA designated institutions, only 11 of them RTCs. The so called "fringe" colleges include, it appears, the Garda Siochana College, the Military College Curragh Camp, the Irish Management Institute, the various seminaries, the members of this association and many others.

2) This association's members have the highest regard for the standards and professionalism of NCEA standards which, as the public would expect, it applies equally to all institutions within its remit. We believe that this view is shared by the other non RTC colleges whose activities are subject to monitoring by NCEA. It is disingenuous of RTC representatives to seek to justify their current "freedom" campaign through an attack on that body.

3) NCEA acts on a national basis, representing the interests of government and the public. How, may we ask, does the even handed application of its assessment, entry and quality standards devalue the courses provided by RTCs?

Yours, chairman, Higher Education Colleges Association, Dublin 2.