An insider's guide to education

Graduate loans could be key to third-level funding

Around the middle of next month, Ruairí Quinn may be forced to make a decision on the most difficult issue on his desk – what to do about funding for higher education.

For Quinn – and for all Labour ministers – “free’’ access to higher education is an article of faith. Labour takes pride in Niamh Bhreatneach’s decision to abolish fees in the mid-1990s, a move which it maintains widened college access.

When it comes to college funding, Ruairí Quinn would like to kick the can down the road, as the economists put it. But the pressure to address the funding crisis is building. The patience of university presidents is beginning to snap; for some, last week’s dramatic slump in world rankings was the final straw.

That is why the report from the Higher Education Authority next month will be key. The report will underline the huge financial challenge facing higher education as it seeks to accommodate vastly increased numbers over the next decade. Critically, it will also assess how the quality of higher education has declined, as staff numbers and other services were cut over the past three years.

What will Quinn do? Sceptics say he will do all in his power to avoid being labelled as ‘The Man Who Brought Back Fees.

But there is another view. It may be that Quinn could relish the challenge of providing higher eduction with a long-term sustainable funding base. Our best bet? Quinn will back a graduate tax/student loan scheme, not dissimilar to that proposed by Batt O’Keeffe in 2009.

Am I bovvered?

This week we were watching Educating Essex(not to be confused with the ghastly The Only Way is Essex) on Channel 4.

The fly-on- the-wall documentary follows events at Passmores School and Technology College in Harlow, Essex (pupils Charlotte and Molly, right). The British tabloids describe it as "a school where foul-mouthed teachers brand pupils 'scumbags' and liberally use four-letter words.'' That may be the case – but this is engrossing TV and an interesting contrast to RTÉ's terrific 2009 documentary series The Schoolwhich featured St Peter's College in Dunboyne, Co Meath.

Listmania and bruised egos

The response to last week's Top 50 Most Influential in Educationwas extraordinary.

The talking points included the small number of women on the list (5); the absence of any parents’ representatives and the significant influence of economists in shaping education policy.

There was a huge reaction from some of those named on the list – and an even stronger one from some bruised egos who did not make it!

The good news? The top 50 list is set to become an annual fixture.

Got any education gossip?

e-mail sflynn@irishtimes.com or teacherspet@irishtimes.com