| FreeTalkLive said: This is what governments do. It would make a lot more sense for the UK government and all governments to end any relation to universities. Governments just make the university system worse. Get the government out of higher education. |
Our universities are extremely good - the second biggest destination in the world for foreign students. The government doesn't have any control over universities right now anyway - except funding. Every MP in Parliament now got their own education under the system with no tuition fees and it clearly worked - why impose £9000 fees on us?
The fees won't reduce the national debt - it will increase it by £4bn next year and more by 2015 as they have to borrow to fund loans. They will save nothing overall, just defer payment into the future with interest.
The fees won't increase university funding - cuts mean it is a net decrease in revenue.
Higher education directly benefits every single person in this country, that is why it should be publicly funded. The leaders and professionals of tomorrow create many less skilled jobs below them and drive the economy.
If they want to save money, why not just cut whole universities? Those that only have soft option degrees that don't help anyone find a graduate job.
This will decrease the number of poor people entering higher education, because universities won't want to have to pay their £9000 fee for them (as this system requires) so they will take fewer of them.
University entry should be based 100% on your academic suitability for the course, not on your ability to pay. This affects me because as a research scientist I won't be able to afford fee repayment so will have the debt forever (we earn ~£25k, just above the repayment limit). It's fine for future doctors and lawyers but not scientists. Top universities will charge more creating a seperation by ability to pay (yes, even with deferred repayment, it will appear unaffordable to many).
They rolled in the fees with little debate or time. Last time they warned students years in advance so we could pepare.This time it will affect everyone from now on. 30 MPs went back on their signed election pledges to oppose tuition fee rises in order to vote for it - many people voted Lib Dem for their flagship policy of this only. If we had known they would do that I guess the Lib Dem vote would have gone to Labour.
So, if this policy doesn't reduce national debt, increase access, increase university funding, promote science careers OR save taxpayers money, what IS it good for? Actually our Prime Minsister did say one group it will benefit - foreign students will now have to pay less. GREAT.
