Vol. 465 No. 3
46 Mr. D. Wallace asked the Minister for Education if she will make a statement on her understanding of the very low level of uptake of third-level education among our most deprived communities; and the proposals, if any, she has to address this problem. [9618/96]
The White Paper Charting our Education Future indicates that it is a major objective of the Government to promote equality of access to higher education, irrespective of social class, age or disability for all who have the capacity to benefit from it.
The free fees initiatives and the third level student support schemes facilitate students with limited means who wish to progress to third level. I consider that the abolition of undergraduate fees, in particular, will have very important material and psychological effects in encouraging greater equality in access.
There is already evidence in the report for the Higher Education Authority by Professor Patrick Clancy entitled Access to College: Patterns of Continuity and Change that a significant reduction in inequality of participation at third level occurred between 1980 and 1992. A reduction of 36 per cent has been calculated.
Ensuring greater access to third level by students from disadvantaged backgrounds is not, therefore, solely a matter of costs at third level. Fuller participation in third level depends on ensuring retention of students in full-time education up to the age of 18. To achieve this I have taken a range of initiatives.
