(Cavan) asked the Minister for Education if it is a fact that, whereas county councils can make grants available to students who wish to attend a university and who have secured four honours in university subjects in their leaving certificate, subject to a means test, a vocational education committee cannot award similar grants to students who wish to pursue third level studies at regional colleges; and, if so, whether in order to terminate this unfair discrimination against vocational education, he will take steps to bring the law applicable to vocational students, who wish to pursue studies at regional colleges, into line with secondary school students who wish to attend universities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Vocational School Students.
27.
The position in relation to grants for higher education is that they are available for courses leading to a university degree or equivalent qualification in the case of students who reach a certain standard at the leaving certificate examination and satisfy a means test. They are available to students attending either secondary or vocational schools. In order that a student might hold one of these grants in a regional technical college it would be necessary that the course which he would be following be recognised as leading to a qualification equivalent to a university degree. Provision for any such recognition could be made only after the national council for educational awards had been set up.
I might mention, however, that many vocational education committees have established scholarship schemes to the regional technical colleges. In fact, expenditure amounting to over £3,600 has been authorised in respect of such schemes during the current financial year.
Can the Minister offer no prospects of modifying this scheme so as to extend it to other tertiary institutions?
It might be said that we have to creep before we walk.
For how long must we creep?
Not very long in so far as this Government are concerned in relation to education.
They are standing idly by.
We certainly did not stand idly by where education was concerned.
Has the Deputy got views on education also?