Ireland of Equals Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

FE colleges should not be denied cross-border students

Published: 5 July, 2006

Sinn Fein Education Spokesperson Michael Ferguson has asked Marie Eagle MP the British Minister responsible for Employment & Learning matters to phase in the use of a so called 'residency criteria' allowing Further Education Colleges to be flexible and cover the cost of students from the 26 Counties who annually apply for courses in FE Colleges such as Newry, Derry, Limavady and the North West Institute.
For some years now FE Colleges allowed students from the 26 Counties to enrol for courses a practice of cross border cooperation that has always been welcome as is the development of commerce.
Commenting upon the situation Michael Ferguson said,
" Cross border cooperation amongst schools and educationalists as with the business sector has always made good sense which is why under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement the North South Ministerial Council was charged with developing cooperation and harmonising education and training services"
"It is rather disappointing to learn that some civil servants within the Department of Employment and Learning want to roll back time and reduce that cooperation which is taking place and so crucial to our local economy".
" I have asked Marie Eagle not to impose this so called 'residency criteria' as a prerequisite to securing a place in an FE College in the Six Counties not only because it would deny training to many young people who live a mile away across the border but also because it will have an adverse impact on teachers and lecturers and result in redundancies".
" It would make good sense for the those civil servants within the Department of Employment and Learning who seem intent on reducing cross border co-operation to first employ some common sense and good practice. They should contact the Department of Education & Science in Dublin and agree a process in order to meet the needs of these students and help secure the jobs of teachers and lecturers in Border County Colleges who depend on the influx of students from Donegal and other counties."