Madam, - Since last February third-level mature students and academic support groups have been campaigning against the cuts in the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme administered by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. The BTEA was originally designed as a "second chance" educational opportunity for mature (over 21), disadvantaged people. It is essentially a social welfare payment that enables them to avail of education at second or third level. The allowance is about €124.80 a week plus an annual books grant of €254.00.
As a result of persistent lobbying by the BTEA campaign, Ms Mary Coughlan, Minister for Social and Family Affairs, recently amended her original intention to cut BTEA for all postgraduate degree courses and has now decided that the scheme "will continue to support those wishing to take up the Graduate Diploma in Education [primary teaching] or the Higher Diploma".
While this is welcome, it only recognises the need for a postgraduate qualification in respect of a very limited number of professions. Any BTEA student who requires a master's degree or a Ph.D. to pursue their chosen career is excluded by this measure.
Limiting the career options of these students reinforces their social disadvantage and flies in the face of the social inclusion policy that underlies the BTEA scheme.
When current BTEA recipients entered the scheme they were told they would be entitled to one postgraduate degree under the terms and conditions of the scheme. This promise enabled them to plan their courses and ultimately their careers. At present, final-year BTEA students are sitting or have already sat their exams. Many of them had intended to go on to do master's degrees (especially one-year taught programmes) or doctorates. To expect them to change their career paths at this stage is wrong and unrealistic.
The decision not to continue the BTEA for such students does not make economic sense. Ms Coughlan's measure means that several BTEA students may end up where they started, and that much of the allowance already spent on them will in effect have been wasted. If students are fully educated towards the careers they wish to pursue, they can make a meaningful contribution to Irish society and put back, two-fold, what the State has invested in them.
Eroding laudable schemes like BTEA and thereby dashing the hopes of bright, disadvantaged people, who were initially offered a 'second chance' in their lives, is not a solution to our economic ills. If anything, it compounds the problem. - Yours, etc.,
Prof EOIN BOURKE, Dr DANIEL CAREY, Dr GEARÓID M. DENVIR, Dr ELIZABETH FITZPATRICK, JOHN A. HANON, CONOR NEWMAN, Dr KIERAN O'CONOR, Prof DÁIBHÍ Ó CRÓINÍN, Dr FELIX O'MURCHADHA, Prof ULF STROHMAYER, Back to Education Academic Support Group, National University of Ireland, Galway.