Students from agricultural colleges are currently excluded from the €15m COVID-19 education fund, Macra na Feirme national president Thomas Duffy has said.
Speaking with the Irish Farmers Journal, Duffy said: “We have requested an urgent meeting with Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris to discuss extending the fund to include agricultural colleges.”
“The exclusion of agriculture students may have been a possible oversight from the Department and we are hoping for this to be rectified in the coming days.”
The fund has been established to enable students to purchase laptops, tablets and obtain an internet connectivity fit for remote learning.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Skills has said: "Responsibility and funding of agricultural colleges is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has no role or function in relation to these institutions."
Same barriers
Macra has said that almost 6,000 students attending Teagasc colleges have the same technological needs as university and institute of technology students.
During a video call this Thursday, Macra na Feirme agricultural affairs chair Shane Fitzgerald urged Minister Calleary to seek access to the fund for agriculture students.
Speaking with the Irish Farmers Journal, Fitzgerald said: “Students in agricultural colleges are facing the same barriers and challenges as those in universities and institutes of technology.
“A lot of our members have gone through these colleges and we’d like to see the correct supports in place. Students don’t have a lot of spare money and will need help in buying new tech which isn’t cheap.
“Broadband in the rural areas these students are from might not be up to speed and it is highly important they have access to a good internet connection.”
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Students from agricultural colleges are currently excluded from the €15m COVID-19 education fund, Macra na Feirme national president Thomas Duffy has said.
Speaking with the Irish Farmers Journal, Duffy said: “We have requested an urgent meeting with Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris to discuss extending the fund to include agricultural colleges.”
“The exclusion of agriculture students may have been a possible oversight from the Department and we are hoping for this to be rectified in the coming days.”
The fund has been established to enable students to purchase laptops, tablets and obtain an internet connectivity fit for remote learning.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Skills has said: "Responsibility and funding of agricultural colleges is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has no role or function in relation to these institutions."
Same barriers
Macra has said that almost 6,000 students attending Teagasc colleges have the same technological needs as university and institute of technology students.
During a video call this Thursday, Macra na Feirme agricultural affairs chair Shane Fitzgerald urged Minister Calleary to seek access to the fund for agriculture students.
Speaking with the Irish Farmers Journal, Fitzgerald said: “Students in agricultural colleges are facing the same barriers and challenges as those in universities and institutes of technology.
“A lot of our members have gone through these colleges and we’d like to see the correct supports in place. Students don’t have a lot of spare money and will need help in buying new tech which isn’t cheap.
“Broadband in the rural areas these students are from might not be up to speed and it is highly important they have access to a good internet connection.”
Read more
CAP: big changes on way for farm payments
Government may have to 'overhaul' farming to hit climate targets
No progress in Brexit talks
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