Galway students will hold a public demonstration against the planned increase of third-level fees, next week as part of a National Day of Action against education cuts.
The demonstration will take place next Wednesday, starting at 1pm. The students, who will be led by the Free Education for Everyone Galway group, will march from the NUI Galway campus, past the cathedral, to Eyre Square, where there will be a number of speakers.
The students are concerned about proposals to increase of third-level fees to €3,000 by 2015 and to abolish the postgraduate grant. Other areas of concern include cutbacks on primary and secondary level education.
First year medical student Evelyn Fennelly outlined the impacts the cuts will have:
“Measures such as increased school transport charges, cuts to English language teachers for newcomer children, and the planned closure of smaller primary schools, are all direct attacks on those in primary and secondary education and their families.”
NUIG Student’s Union equality officer William O’Brien called on all students to support the demonstration.
“The Government’s abolition of the student grant for incoming postgraduate students is a sickening attack by this odious, IMF dominated, Government on the living standards of young people,” he said.
