Irish Second-Level Students’ Union releases new campaign entitled #AFutureOfDebt

Currently the Labour Senators have tabled a motion to oppose the introduction of a Student Loan Scheme.  The Student Loan Scheme would cause a rise in college fees and increased student debt.  The detrimental effects of the student loan system can already been seen in countries like the UK, US and Australia.  Where in the UK alone, has reported that three-quarters of graduates will never be able to pay off their student loans.

The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) believes that education is a fundamental right that should never be a commodity, nor a luxury reserved for the elite.  They believe that third-level education is something which should be accessible to everyone, no matter who they are, no matter where they come from.  

ISSU is opposed to a Student Loan Scheme and instead supports the model for Publicly Funded Higher Education presented in the Cassell’s Report.  ISSU finds this model to be the most inclusive, equal and progressive option for students.  

Like ISSU, Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin also opposes the idea of implementing the Student Loan Scheme.  He states that, “when it comes to higher education, we need to be ambitious and remove financial barriers to access education.  A deferred payment scheme…would be disastrous for students in Ireland.”  He also goes on to say, “Labour in Government took an ambitious step in the 90’s in introducing publicly funded third level education.  We need to be brave again and be ambitious for the next generation.”

Show your support and follow the conversation on Twitter at #AFutureOfDebt and #NoToLoans.