Education reaction: The introduction of a "study now, pay later" system at third-level would place it out of the reach of many students, the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) has claimed.
Such a scheme would fit in with the OECD's intention of making Ireland's education system more commercial and market-driven, the union said.
Speaking at a USI press conference president Mr Ben Archibald said he was not surprised by the OECD's findings.
"We knew what the report would contain. The report is a blunt instrument, crafted by a group with less than a shining reputation in the promotion of education which serves the interests of society," he said. "It calls for the greater involvement of private capital into the sector, and the need for education to meet the needs of industry above all."
Although the USI welcomed the report's recognition that the higher education sector was severely under-funded, it believed this could be resolved by greater Government investment.
The absence of fees had been a "major determinant" in increasing the numbers enrolled in third-level education here.
"The report calls for a massive increase in the cost of a qualification to the person on the street, and believes that this massive prospective increase in debt for the citizen will be a factor of encouragement," he said.
"Education is a public good, which enhances the cultural, economic and social life of Ireland . . . education is not, and should not be, simply an arm of economic development policy."
USI also had concerns about the implications of other recommendations. For example, the creation of an "over-arching super-authority in the OECD's image" risked concentrating power in the hands of big business, said Mr Archibald.
Mr Paddy Healy, president of the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), said that although it welcomed some aspects of the report, the union believed it contained a clear "neo-liberal bias".
"The OECD is guided by economic as opposed to educational priorities and, in recommending the reimposition of student fees, the report's authors revert to OECD type, " said Mr Healy.
"They betray a profound misunderstanding of the realities of Ireland's political and educational culture and suggest what, in effect, would be a tax on participation in higher education."
Mr Healy said the TUI would like to see a ring-fenced education levy applied to corporate profits. The corporate sector benefited directly from the availability of a highly educated labour pool, yet made no contribution. The TUI was also "vehemently opposed" to the privatisation of higher education, he said.
Nonetheless, the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities yesterday welcomed the report. It said in a statement that the OECD "points the way forward for the country at a time when higher education is at a crossroads as the key driver of economic and social development.
"The stark reality underlined by the report is that for Ireland to be internationally competitive as a knowledge-based society, Irish universities need to be in the top rank of universities in the OECD," it said.
"This is the goal of the Irish universities and the OECD report provides a clear roadmap for both Government and the universities for getting there."
While it would be urging the Government to set up an implementation group to fast-track the report's recommendations, it said any attempt to "cherry-pick" the findings should be resisted.
The chairman of the Higher Education Authority, Mr Don Thornhill, said the report's recommendations amounted to a "very comprehensive agenda for positive change and development". The recommendation that institutions be encouraged to generate funds from private sources was in line with the authority's own thinking, he said.
Meanwhile, at the USI press conference the Green Party's education spokesman said the party would "not rule out" the introduction of a one cent increase in income tax, ringfenced specifically for education spending.
Mr Paul Gogarty said opposition parties tended to repeat the mantra of "no fees". However, he believed the challenge to all parties was to come up with "creative solutions" if they did not wish business to have an overwhelming role in education here. One quarter of the money raised by the tax would be reserved for third-level, he added.