Thousands expected to demonstrate against prospect of college loans
The Union of Students in Ireland expect up to 5,000 students to join their national demonstration march this Wednesday, October, 19.
The protest is aimed at warning the Government of the impact of income contingent loans on students and young people.
800 signatures collected with @DCUSU today ahead of Oct 19 from students saying no to student loans #EducationIs pic.twitter.com/1TpzKPAEQj
— Union of Students in Ireland (@TheUSI) October 17, 2016
The National Parents Council PostPrimary, NYCI (National Youth Council of Ireland), EQUATE, TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland), Dundalk Outcomes, ARC, See Change, ReachOut, the INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation), ICTU Youth, ISSU (Irish Secondary Schools Union), the Irish Rugby Union Players Association and Youth Work Ireland are all backing USI’s national demonstration.
The demonstration, which is leaving the Garden of Remembrance at 1pm and marching to the Department of the Taoiseach, is supported by organisations comprising of 1,992,760 members, and will call on the Government and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills to choose the publicly-funded third level education model as outlined in the Cassells report.
700+ signatures gathered in @WITSU_ today ahead of Wednesday's demo, here's @WITSU_president rallying Waterford IT students! #EducationIs ✊🏼 pic.twitter.com/Dd3scoDAGy
— Union of Students in Ireland (@TheUSI) October 17, 2016
USI said the income-contingent loan scheme option from the Cassells report is not a viable solution to third level funding as a graduate debt of over €20,000 will create a two-tiered system of higher education – those who can afford education and those who can’t and thus become saddled with debt.
The union emphasised that the financial strain of college spans across all communities and groups including parents, families, children, staff and teachers - not just students, and are inviting the public to join the demonstration.
Say no to €20,000 debt and join the national demo on Oct 19th with a cute hedgehog #EducationIs pic.twitter.com/YIfNUlJ1PS
— Union of Students in Ireland (@TheUSI) October 17, 2016
“USI is delighted to have so many major parental, secondary school, education, youth and mental health organisations backing our national demonstration for publicly-funded education,” USI President, Annie Hoey, said.
“We are inviting the public to join in our march on the 19th October, and to echo the concerns we have on the future of third level education.
“Third level education is unaffordable and our universities are slipping down on the QS World University Rankings.
“The loan scheme option put forward in the Cassells report is unsustainable.
“It will increase emigration, saddle young people with a mortgage-modelled debt and deter mature and part-time students from applying to college.
She added: “70% of the 2015 college graduates in the UK are not expected to ever fully repay their college loans, according to The Institute of Fiscal Studies.
“Home-ownership in under-40s in New Zealand has drastically fallen since the introduction of student loans, from 57% to 25%.”
