The abolition of the National University of Ireland has “serious implications” for graduates of its colleges as it places the status of their degrees and awards into question.
This is the view of Galway West TD and Labour party president Michael D Higgins, who has criticised Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s plans to abolish the NUI.
Dep Higgins characterised the decision as “an ignorant action” and said that this decision was made “without the courage to discuss it with either the universities” or the Dáil.
“To begin with, which item of legislation in the Government legislative programme will achieve this option?” asked Dep Higgins. “More importantly, to abolish NUI will naturally cause great concern to all those who have graduated from any one of the four universities and five further constituent colleges of NUI. What are their degrees to be worth now? How are they to be regarded internationally?”
Dep Higgins said the minister and his Government would be better off focusing on creating employment for graduates rather than “flying kites” for proposals “to devalue their degrees”.
