What’s on the 24th? I’m a college student & never heard of this

Ronan, there is a general Anti-Austerity march on the 24th and there will be an education bloc there for students to join if they aren’t marching with any other particular campaign. With the lack of a USI march this year, it provides a good opportunity for students to voice their opposition to cuts in education as well as seeing that they are part of a much wider anti-austerity struggle. Hopefully, a good few thousand show up.

Why play fair with these *anchors, somebody, Marian I think, said Communism might be worth another look, on the Marian For Nook them show yetsirthey. Dayed rather sink than slim!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/297293670371678/ come join :D

There is an Anti-Austerity March on the 24th and there will be an Education bloc representing students with USI and other students groups like Free Education for Everyone. Students are obviously welcome to attend.

https://www.facebook.com/events/297293670371678/ :)

Ok, I’ll just work weekends with the job I have like everyone else and get my grant despite having a form of income, why didn’t I think of this before? You’re a genius Rory, education problem solved right there in 4 lines.

OK besides the US & UK, name me some other countries that have more expensive 3rd level costs than Ireland.

Rory green thumbs from me

@Chris are you sure you’re even a student with that type of nonsensical jibberish. I like many others work weekends, summers and holidays and put myself through college with no grant. The grant is decided on household income not you’re part time job for expenses. Plenty of people I know use their grants for cars and holidays, obviously that’s a minority but it goes to show that it’s affordable if you make sacrifices. It’s an investment in yourself, why should others put you through it.

I’ll gladly name 10 for you that are dearer than ireland relative to the median income which is generally how its analysed Japan, USA, Australia, Canada,New Zealand, Sweden,France, Denmark, Latvia and holland.

All good and well Rory, but have you heard, many of these jobs are often hard to come by. Besides, the grants are being constantly cut and requirements made tighter. Furthermore, these aren’t even available for post-graduate study anymore. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get by these days, which people like yourself tend to forget.

Also, having cheaper education than other countries doesn’t wash as an excuse for scrapping the free fees system. Since we’re going to be paying with austerity measures for the foreseeable future, saddling students with loans, grad tax or what ever method you prefer will only prolong recovery further. Slashing services and expenditure in areas like education looks good on paper in the short term but the long term effects will be detrimental.

Rory, was it your generation that saddled the students and the generations with the largest debt per capita in the world? You are part of that generation…. and now you want to screw them even more by taking away the best chance these same people have of making any sort of future for themselves. Damn, this country really is screwed.

There should be no such thing as free college fees anyway. The grant should be means tested to a more extreme level. There is plenty of students getting grants and pissing it up against a wall 2-3 nights a week and its becoming a wasted resource. And then those who are in dire need for a grant don’t get the support they need. But college fees need to come in, and it shouldn’t be an entitlement and cost a student nothing. everyone needs to make sacrifices. There are plenty of part time jobs available for students and summer jobs also. This mentality in Ireland that student life is a long holiday needs to stop. You’re lucky to be receiving a degree in the first place, there are many in the world who’d kill to have the opportunities irish students have. Banks have very fair student deals with relaxed interest only loans till graduation.

Cal are you living in fairy land? The majority of students I know, spend most their money on drink and takeaways and don’t live within their means and rely on the grant that they don’t need to support their lifestyle. But sorry you’re right, excuse me for working through college and not being lazy and relying on a government to spoon feed me. If you want something enough you’ll achieve it no matter what gets in your way.

Really says a lot about the type of company you keep Rory so.

Students padraig? Yeah you have a point there.

I tend to agree with the majority of what your saying. Third level education shouldnt be an entitlement it should be a privilege and it is only one route you can take in life. There are many career paths which do not require you to have a third level education. Third level education costs in ireland when measured towards other countries are more affordable and there is equality more so in ireland. More and more students seem to be not showing up to college and attendance levels are worringly low showing complete disrespect to the system in place. Student grant holders should have mandatory attendance levels and mandatory grades whoch need to be reached if they are to qualify for it again. Most college students treat it like one long holiday life of partying. I work friday-sunday and still manage to put myself through 3 years of college so far.

Most Scandinavian countries have “free” third level education. Which I think is brilliant. Not everyone can afford it. Education should be a right not a privilege.

Yeah education should be free and a right but not third level. At third level you’re meant to be at a mature age to look to not get spoon fed. Money needs to come from somewhere and we all have to make sacrifices including us students. Life is too easy as a student and young people don’t appreciate the privilege it is to gain a qualification. People need to start copping on and taking responsibility for themselves.

And I don’t know where you’re getting your facts from because as of 2010 Scandinavian countries have been paying tuition fees.

http://www.ehow.com/info_7890951_countries-provide-education.html

As we make school more accessible and dumbed down, we’ll need to stay in school longer to get extra accreditations and keep the education ladder going.

With rights come responsibility. Like PAYING for it, not asking the productive sector of society to pay for it.

Michael all I’m saying is it would be nice to live in country that health and education should be equal to all people. Everyone is paying tax through the nose for unsecured bank debt. The money that will be paid back by us I’m sure could easily afford health and education for everyone. What is happening now is government decisions are turning people on each other, when it should be the opposite.

Rory I have to disagree with you i have a weekend job where i work for almost 23 hours a week my family is not able to pay for any of my expenses due to family issues but i still don’t get a grant and i must say i struggle with what i have but my room mate is a foreign national that has 2 brothers in third level education and the family simply does not have the money to support all of them which means that one of them had to leave college to give the others a chance to an education due to the appalling assessment of the SUSI grant i know he is not from Ireland or from an E.U. country but does that mean that anyone from outside the E.U is not entitled to any help of some sort I understand that it is not your fault and that there is a minority of people that rip off the state for the grand but you must understand it’s only a minority.
I think the Grant system is just a joke in general and some people take advantage of it.

WS,

How do you think that should be accomplished? Through taxation and socialism?

Michael, were you one of the lucky generation that got relatively free education? Is it a case of ‘I am alright Jack’ and to hell with the next generation? The youth need our support, they are the future of this country and key to recovery. Putting college out of reach for the lower income families is not the right answer.
You need to have a longer view to ensuring the future success of our country and its people.

Well said cal

No, But that argument is irrelevant anyway, via the association fallacy.

If I was however, I would not have marched on Dublin during the protests.

I understand economics.

The solution is not more government to solve our problems. We need to allow entrepreneurs to revitalise education, not government bureaucrats. It’s not to say they are ill-intentioned, but they end up doing more harm than good.

We pay for it through our high taxes. We see how that’s working for the lower class.

Typical blueshirt comment

Hahaha