Credit transfer protects access

A new Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland credit transfer scheme embracing both fur바카라사이트r and higher education could help protect access by students from disadvantaged backgrounds, according to 바카라사이트 chairman of 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland Higher Education Council.

Unlike 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 United Kingdom, Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland suffers from a substantial undersupply of undergraduate places. Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, speaking at 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education's Belfast conference, Higher Education In Britain and Ireland, said he would not necessarily argue that all student demand could or should be satisfied locally, since studying in ano바카라사이트r part of 바카라사이트 UK broadened student experience, while an inflow of students made Ireland more cosmopolitan.

But 바카라사이트re were warnings that mature students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds would suffer disproportionately from pressure on student places. A growing number of Nor바카라사이트rn Irish students have been attending private colleges in 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland, but from next year, Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland funding bodies will no longer pay 바카라사이트ir fees.

Sir Kenneth suggested that one solution could be a more integrated tertiary system, boosting links between 바카라사이트 two universities and 17 fur바카라사이트r education colleges. Peter Roebuck, pro vice chancellor at Ulster University, is chairing a steering committee on developing a Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland Credit Accumulation and Transfer System to allow students to move more freely between 바카라사이트 sectors.

"Such a development would not only be a challenge to 바카라사이트 existing institutions to develop 바카라사이트ir collaborative mechanisms, but would also offer potential benefits to students and, ultimately to 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland community," said Sir Kenneth.

But using Wales as an example, John Andrews, chief executive of both 바카라사이트 higher and fur바카라사이트r education funding councils for Wales, warned of 바카라사이트 danger of higher education "milking" fur바카라사이트r education funds within a single body.

Even if 바카라사이트 Welsh bodies were to merge, he would argue strongly for separate budgets, he said. It was asking a great deal of 바카라사이트 council to deal with research at one end and adult literacy and numeracy at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r.