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Yes, the debt is very problematic. It is also true that before fees, top universities were struggling to recruit from outside of the usual middle class, often privately educated elite. Fees are one solution, though a very flawed one. A better solution wasn't put on the table. perhaps someone should come up with one. And yes, I think the connection is simple: "I can get a loan to afford this now, so I'll go".
I don't expect anyone on here to agree with this, so I'll accept in advance that these views make me an evil tory, and we can get back to the leadership discussion :)
William.-
Yes, the debt is very problematic. It is also true that before fees, top universities were struggling to recruit from outside of the usual middle class, often privately educated elite. Fees are one solution, though a very flawed one. A better solution wasn't put on the table. perhaps someone should come up with one. And yes, I think the connection is simple: "I can get a loan to afford this now, so I'll go".
What does this even mean?
Top universities weren't able to recruit from outside the privately educated middle classes so fees were raised? Huh?
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And yes, I think the connection is simple: "I can get a loan to afford this now, so I'll go".
If there are no fees, you don't need a loan. If there are significantly lower fees you have significantly lower debt. You are talking about fees, not maintenance? The marketisation and corporatisation of higher education is unchecked. It's not a Tory thing, I don't think many people forget who brought fees in.
None of that was even the over simple stuff. Access to university is now broader than it was before fees - it's not necessarily directly causal. A lot else has also changed. There are also still nuances in who feels able to apply and who doesn't. There are also nuances in who benefits as graduates, and who doesn't, and how much of this is related to fees/debt or not.
Not the place, but i can't pass by an assertion that university fees = social mobility, yay fees.
No.
hoefla
Not wanting to get off topic, but this makes me totally twitch. You don't think fees putting almost every graduate into massive debt are problematic? And btw the gov white paper has just lifted the £9k cap. I really don't think the 3 things you link: tuition fees, applications to university and social mobility, are so simply connected.