The government has got it totally wrong on higher education funding - it’s time for Labour to propose an alternative.
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By Rory Weal
Figures released yesterday show that university applications from UK students for courses starting this autumn have fallen by 8.9 per cent. The drop coincides with the increase in tuition fees, to £9,000 a year, which the current cohort will be the first to experience.
These figures stand in stark contrast to the government line when tuition fees were increased in November 2010, when education secretary Michael Gove told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
“I believe that [higher fees] won’t put off students. They will make a rational decision on the benefits that accrue to them [from going to university].”
Yesterday’s figures have disproved Gove’s assertion that the prospect of having over £27,000 worth of debt will not deter students from applying.
These statistics show that the prospect of carrying such an extraordinary debt before even leaving university is making many young people, who would have previously considered going to university, reconsider.
What is equally notable is the differentiation in applications from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England, tuition fees are at £9,000 a year, whereas in Wales and Northern Ireland fees stand at £3,465, and there are no fees for Scottish students applying to university.
Application figures clearly show that the slump is far more dramatic in England, with Scotland experience a far less significant fall. England has seen by far the most substantial reduction, down 10% compared with the same point last year. The other declines are of 2% in Scotland, 3% in Wales and 5% in Northern Ireland.
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This clearly shows a strong link between increasing fees and declining applications. The government’s previous attempts to claim that the fee rise will not deter students has been shown to be totally incorrect.
Sally Hunt, leader of the UCU lecturers’ union, attacked the government for their pivotal role in seeing universities become inaccessible to many young people, saying:
“These figures once again highlight the folly of hiking up tuition fees to £9,000 and making England one of the most expensive countries in the world in which to access higher education.”
She went on to criticise the double standards of the Tory-led government, which gives lip-service to social mobility but in reality is making the situation far worse, saying:
“This government can talk all it likes about improving social mobility but how will erecting punitive financial barriers help our best and brightest get on?”
These figures are evidence of a government that is blocking the ability for young people to get on in life. The increase in tuition fees is just one element of a wider mix of measures which are ending any pretence that young people can still do well regardless of their background.
The scrapping of EMA has made education unaffordable for many young people while the slashing of youth centres has taken away an essential resource from kids from deprived areas. Now we see that increasing the cost of education has meant that many young people are simply not applying to stay on into higher education.
In light of these figures, Labour needs to be pushing for a radical overhaul of the regressive and unfair tuition fee system with a new mechanism, which Ed Miliband supported in his leadership campaign: a graduate tax.
Such a tax would get rid of the deterrent caused by the threat of taking on masses of debt and encourage young people to apply for university, not least those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The government has got it totally wrong on higher education funding. It’s time for Labour to propose an alternative.
40 Responses to “Fall in applications undermines government claims fee rise will not deter students”
Anonymous
You think? At least I don’t have a “cute” name, when it’s read from left to right. Fitting, though.
Claude Gohier
Royaume uni: La hausse des frais de scolarité résulte en une diminution des inscriptions. http://t.co/J9MERGw5 cc @francoislegault
Welsh universities face radical overhaul | Left Foot Forward
[…] See also: • Fall in applications undermines government claims fee rise will not deter students 11 Jul […]
Stopthesuperuni
NEW DEVELOPMENT: NEWPORT AND CARDIFF MET ATTACKED BY EDUCATION MINISTER AS OTHER UNIVERSITIES RUN FOR COVER IN HEFCW FUNDING PLANS:
http://www.timeshighereducatio…
http://www.timeshighereducatio…
http://stopthesuperuni.blogspo…
Do you think you can wait any longer to take action against this sort of thing? We warned you it would happen: Want to find out why? Read on AND TAKE ACTION NOW!
This is the Stop The Super University NOW Campaign,
Set-up by local residents in solidarity with Students, Staff and Businesses in Wales, who are opposed to the resulting cuts and subsiquent costs socially, economically, politically and environmentally that will occur by the creating of “Super Universities” in Wales.
Our aim is to reveal the truth about these plans, especially the fact that the Super Universities will forever ruin the opportunities for further and higher education in Wales, as well as giving those who are profiting from such plans an unjust monopoly over the industry for their own gains.
We also wish to warn young people of the risks to their educational choices and the fact that this plan might create a two-tier system – One University for the “elite” and one sub-standard university for everyone else (with this uni most likely also taking control of the jobs market) as well as the lack of representation they will have when enrolling to such a establishment. Already Students at Cardiff Metropolitan University has voted with its feet, with over 80% knowing that their studies and future prospects would be irrepairably damaged as a direct result, along with concern being mooted by students at Newport and elsewhere also. There is no wish within the student body or university staff body in Wales for this merger – Despite this clear opposition, the taxdodging Education Minister carries on regardless – so further action needs to be taken now.
Already Cardiff Council, Cardiff Metropolitan University have spoken out, plus many staff and students from all of Wales’ institutions have come to us, uncovering the plans that the wealthy and powerful few have set in place, including the silencing of any debate both in public and in the media over the long-term consiquences of such actions, as well as legalised “gagging”/“compulsory redundancies” of members of staff from those institutions in favour of the plans for “corporate reasons”. International students have also come forward and reported the immense systems failure that they face, including underhand methods to make them stay on (everything from grade-changing without reason between “pass” and “fail” despite high subject attainment, to heavy-handed charges well in excess of the income they and their families have) and dragging them into poverty – This is a discrace to the values that we as a nation hold.
We are against the idea of a centralised and controlled education economy set-out and directly controlled by one minister (Leighton Andrews – who double-crossed the Lib-Dems and is about to double cross the people of Wales with his scheme) and one institution (Glamorgan University Group) who are using this plan for their own profit and selfish greed-gotten gains, especially so shortly after the failure of the University of Wales Federal Super University.
We encourage those who want to learn the truth and stop this disaster, to follow our posts, spread the word in protest and to start the debate going in the higher echelons of government and civic society – because if it really is such a “good scheme” as the Minister claims, then why are so many people being silenced from speaking out? We also encourage those with information to come forward in confidence if they have any further information on the cuts to further and higher education in Wales that will have long-term impact on the Welsh Economy.
The Power is in your hands – Don’t let us down
Sincerely
Stop The Super University NOW Campaign
stopthesuperuni@gmail.com
http://stopthesuperuni.blogspo…
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[…] See also: • Fall in applications undermines government claims fee rise will not deter students 11 Jul […]