TEACHER'S PET: The decision by Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe to postpone those awkward decisions about college fees was not unexpected.

Who wants to be doling out more bad news on the eve of the local and European elections?

But does O’Keeffe’s alternative strategy of setting out the various options on fees in the run-in to the elections make sense?

The Minister will circulate his discussion paper on fees to Cabinet colleagues shortly. This, no doubt, will be made public soon after.

But is this the wisest course? In the coming weeks, O’Keeffe will reassure voters that fees, loans and the rest are just policy options. But the public could well take fright, make up its mind that more pain is coming for the average Joe – and find another excuse to vote against the Government.

The Minister might have been better off making a firm decision on fees before the elections – especially if (as now seems possible) he is not intent on more grief for average families.

** The ASTI’s centenary celebrations are due to end with a special education conference in October.

The union has pulled off a notable coup – Séamus Heaney (right) has agreed to deliver the keynote address.

As a former teacher, Heaney should have much to say about the swingeing cuts in our education service.

What, for example, will Heaney made of the cut in library supports for most schools?

** UCC and UCD have been at war recently about the UCD/TCD research merger. But they seem united in opposing the €12 million annual Exchequer subvention to TCD’s dental school.

Debt-ridden UCC says its dental school receives €3 million less per annum than TCD.

Over at debt-ridden UCD, academics are angry that its veterinary hospital, which accounts for €7 million of its deficit, is not adequately supported.

All of this is putting pressure on the Department of Education and the Higher Education Authority to review the weighting system used to allocate resources.