Third-level education is still very much the preserve of the middle classes, and even the modest attempts to change this have fallen way short of their targets.
Figures recently compiled by USI show that fewer than 100 disadvantaged students took up college places through special entry routes last year. Of the 97 who did, 74 were from Dublin. The question is, why are so few places being filled?
USI is calling for the 10,000 most disadvantaged students to be given means-tested top-up grants of £1,000. They also want extra targeted funding to help institutions run their access programmes. Even if this money was to be granted - and it is a big if, as the total amount allocated now is £6.9 million, and USI's suggestions come to £15 million - how and where should it be spent?
Aine Galvin, access officer with UCD, explains that although the level of grant available is important, it is by no means the most critical factor.
"There has always been a small percentage of disadvantaged students coming through the college system but what there has not been is equality of access. It isn't just a question of cherry-picking the best one or two students - that won't affect social exclusion or disadvantage".
"In order to change the culture and climate you have to work with schools - it is a gradual process," says Galvin. Most access schemes involve a lot of groundwork with certain targeted schools. "If you work with a community and a school where there is little or no transfer to third-level education and you say to a group of sixth years, `you can now go to UCD', it isn't going to change their world overnight.
"The progress in this kind of work is incremental, with a view to changing culture and attitudes."
Anne O'Brien, access officer with NUI Maynooth (the only college in the Republic to have fulfilled its quotas), supports these sentiments. While she admits there are difficulties, she says quality is as important as quantity to the ultimate success of the schemes.
"If you bring in someone who doesn't finish, you aren't breaking the cycle. The way in which the students are supported is important and the numbers game misses that point."
That said, Galvin admits "there is a huge resources issue", not least in terms of giving students top-up grants. "The higher education grant is not a living grant, especially for someone who has to live relatively independently of his or her parents while at college." Students on UCD's access scheme, for example are given a supplementary £1,300 per year and the college has to fund this itself. Based on UCD's calculations, this still leaves students living at home £500 short of what they need and a student living away from home as much as £1,000 short. When summer work is taken into account, however, the students should make up the shortfall.
At the moment Galvin is the only person working on the access programme in UCD, going to schools and liasing with students. "We are looking at expanding," she says, "but there is a lot more work which could be done, including with students from disadvantaged schools." Targeting more schools would give more students access to UCD's programme, allowing more places to be filled.
The Department of Education says the Minister has instructed the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to re-evaluate the access programmes. The Department spokesman said it was important "to make sure that the money is being spent properly and that the right people are getting access to it".
The spokesman pointed to improvements in primary and post-primary education. However, he said that if putting extra resources into going into schools was an issue, it would be looked at.
