14th Apr 2016

Public third-level courses at ‘crisis point’ due to cuts, QQI report says

Spending cuts have pushed some public third-level university and institute of technology courses to crisis point, with serious implications for future sustainability, according to a new report, “Quality in an Era of Diminishing Resources”, commissioned by Quality and Qualifications Ireland, the state body responsible for quality assurance in higher education.

The report is based on a review of the quality of teaching and learning in academic departments, schools and programmes in public higher education institutions.

The report highlights issues of considerable concern, including the cumulative effects of reduced funding, lower staff numbers, increased teaching burdens and the casualisation of staffing and promotion limitations.

More from the Irish Times here. The full report is available from QQI here.