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Colleges criticised for changing local programmes

Wednesday, 13 August 2008

TWO of Dublin’s top third level institutions have been criticised for changing access programmes for students from Baldoyle and Kilbarrack.
Disappointment has been expressed locally with the news that UCD and Trinity College have made changes to third level access programmes in the two Northside areas.
However, both colleges have explained their reasons to Northside People.
UCD had provided an Access to Arts and Human Sciences programme in Baldoyle and also a course in Literary Classics in 2007-08, while Greendale Community School in Kilbarrack was a link school for the Trinity Access Programme (TAP) that aimed to encourage greater third level participation by students from under-represented areas.
Dublin North East TD Tommy Broughan (Lab) has expressed disappointment at the news.
“A number of local people have contacted me and they are bitterly disappointed at the decision by UCD and TCD to withdraw their outreach centres in Baldoyle and Kilbarrack,” he said.
Deputy Broughan has called for a new third level access scheme to be put in place to fill the gaps left by the withdrawal of the outreach schemes.
“A prerequisite for enhanced funding of third and fourth level education is a determined effort by universities to improve access for lower income areas,” he stated.
“I have long been a supporter of the proper funding of third and fourth level education.
“However, it would be extremely disturbing if in the present programme of Government cutbacks the first area targeted in the education sector is outreach and access programmes in a region like the Northside.”
In statement to Northside People, Trinity College said they were strongly committed to ensuring an increase in the proportion of students from under-represented groups progressing to third level.
“In 2007, Greendale Community School closed,” stated a spokesperson for the college.
“This was one of the first Trinity Access Programme link schools, and TAP had worked very hard and successfully with the school to increase progression rates to higher education.
“The closure of the school was resisted locally and Trinity did everything it could to support that effort.
“The decision to close the school was a Government one and Trinity regretted the end of its long association with Greendale Community School.”
The spokesperson pointed out that Trinity was advised by the school that most of its students would transfer to Ardscoil La Salle in Raheny.
“As a result of this, Trinity included this school in its access programme in place of Greendale,” the spokesperson explained.
“Therefore, TAP directly replaced one school link in Dublin 5 with another, as a result of the school closure. Hence, Trinity did not withdraw any access provision at all.”
The spokesperson added: “Trinity has a policy of linking with schools identified by the Department of Education as part of the Delivering Equality of opportunity In Schools (DEIS).
“All schools in the Dublin 5 area which are on the DEIS list are linked to a higher education access programme and are eligible for inclusion in a range of access projects and progression routes.”
A spokesperson for UCD told Northside People that they have moved to another location closer to the city centre to give them access to higher numbers of potential students.
They cited an insufficient number of applications from the Baldoyle and Kilbarrack areas as the reason for withdrawing the service and hope to receive more interest in their new location.

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