Migrants 'put off third-level education'

MIGRANTS are being prevented from fully accessing third-level education because of lack of information, high fees and their previous qualifications not being recognised by Irish colleges. These are the main barriers highlighted in research carried out among 160 migrants from 21 countries and college officials, and employers.

The report said there was a lack of clear, consistent and relevant information for third-level migrant students on entry requirements and educational rights and entitlements.

Some found the application process extremely confusing and many believed the system was "difficult, patchy, cumbersome, awkward and burdensome", particularly for those applying outside the Central Applications Office (CAO) system.

The participants also reported the information about fees and fee structures were inconsistent and confusing, apart from the charging of high fees for people who are not EU citizens, while low levels of English competence were identified as a huge barrier by those surveyed.

A key issue faced by migrants trying to access third-level education was a lack of recognition of international qualifications and prior learning.

"Potential students received varying responses from third-level colleges in relation to capturing their prior learning and having their international qualifications properly recognised," the report found.

It said previous Department of Education and Higher Education Authority studies of access to third level had examined numbers attending college from different student groups such as those with disabilities, older students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, but had not considered the numbers from ethnic minorities or factors influencing their attendance.

The research funded under the Government's Strategic Innovation Fund was carried out by Cork, Sligo, Dublin, Athlone, Letterkenny, Galway-Mayo and Dundalk institutes of technology and University College Cork.

Dr John Pender of IT Sligo, chair of the group, said the findings reveal previously under-reported insights on the migrant experience.

"If we are to develop a sustainable intercultural policy among higher education providers, then the voices of Ireland's migrants must be heard," he said.