Education and Funding
for Third-level Colleges

Core Commitment:
 

Ade Oluborode BL pledges to bring an independent, experienced, and inclusive voice to the Seanad.

Her diverse professional background, commitment to social justice, and passion for education uniquely position her to advocate for policies that promote equality, innovation, and long-term development for TCD, third level colleges and Irish society at large.

Recognising that education is key to national and economic progress. My educational policies are:

• Advocating for increased funding for third-level institutions, to improve pay and working conditions for faculty members, put an end to precarious employment among junior lecturers and researchers, and improve student-faculty ratios.
• Advocate for increased funding for Irish people for critical courses such as Medicine, Nursing etc. We need to give more opportunities to Irish students, so that they would not continue to be forced to migrate to study medicine abroad or to pursue their early careers abroad. This will ensure that we do not lose our fantastic home-grown talent.
• Enhancing financial support systems to reduce the student contribution rate, increase SUSI grants and lower the threshold of reckonable income, provide scholarships and childcare programmes for mature students, parents, and disadvantaged groups.
• Streamline the process of recognising foreign educational qualifications and promote continued language learning for incoming immigrants as part of their integration into society.
• Support inclusive education for people living with disability, to include skills development and training from early childhood to higher education.
• Preserving academic autonomy while promoting equitable access to higher education through robust state-backed support schemes.
• Advocate for increased and long-term exchequer funding to secure financial stability of third level colleges.
• Support policies enabling third level colleges to expand their role in educating future world leaders and driving global innovation.
• Promote research funding and academic partnerships to enhance their international standing and capacity to address global challenges.