Cathal BarryThe principal of St Mary’s College, Belfast, has expressed concern that the North’s Higher Education Minister will continue to target his college, despite plans to cut the teacher training college’s funding being overturned.
Prof. Peter Finn welcomed the decision taken by the Northern Ireland Executive to retain the premia for the University Colleges. However, he warned that the fight to retain such funding was far from “said and done”.
Minister Stephen Farry had planned to cut a vital £1.1million subsidy to the college arguing that the existing system of five separate teacher training providers in the North is unsustainable.
“I’m very pleased that the Executive decided that it was appropriate for us to retain our premia funding but I am not confident at all that this is a said and done issue,” he told The Irish Catholic.
“I’m concerned quite frankly. I believe this man will continue to target this college as long as he is in power.”
Prof. Finn pointed to the fact that up until the proposals were overturned, Minister Farry had insisted the cuts were a budgetary measure forced by financial restraints.
However, according to Prof. Finn, the Minister resorted to “ideological arguments” once the proposed cuts had been rejected.
“Quite literally once the cuts were overturned Minister Farry launched into the ideological arguments he had claimed before were not applicable. For that reason I’m very disappointed and concerned.
“Surely it’s time to stop this and sit down and come up with an approach which has a consensus and an agreement on a way forward.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think that is going to happen. We just need to deal with it now,” he said.
Prof. Finn said the “key issue” for St Mary’s now “is to secure its present level of autonomy which enables the institution to deliver its mission of faith-based higher education”.
“The autonomy which St Mary’s seeks, as a Catholic institution, is however balanced by a sincere commitment towards partnership and cooperation within the framework of the evolving shared approach to education in Northern Ireland,” he said.