Britian has a Conservative government. It's pointless to talk of a Coalition any longer, as the Liberal Democrats have showed that their true colour is Blue. The Conservatives have always been intent on the privatisation of the public sector and now with convenient Liberal scapegoats, they seem to be getting away with murder. Murder of what we used to call 'our' Education System.
Prime Minister David Cameron likes to talk about a 'Big Society'. The idea is so vacuous that even he doesn't know what it means. One thing is certain though. By tripling tuition fees to £9,000 per year, his government will create a society that is BIG ON DEBT.
The government's own statistics show that up to a third of graduates under the new system will carry their debt to the grave. According to the politicians the system will be 'very fair and progressive'. You only have to start paying back when you earn over £21,000 per year they harp. Is it unusual for graduates to earn more than that? Some companies might see this as an excuse to keep entry level salaries low!
Outrageously, the government has even proposed a fine for graduates who seek to pay off their debt early in one lump some. This defies common sense. The economic crisis that we're still in was caused by too many people investing money that they did not have. Now the government is actually encouraging young people to enter into a lifetime of crippling debt.
Cameron tells us that the quality of universities will improve. How can this be when funding for research and staff pensions have also been cut. The brightest English students are now sure to go to Europe for their education. There are countless prestigious universities in Germany, France, Spain, Scandinavia etc. that do not charge crazy entrance fees.
European citizens from poor as well as rich backgrounds should have equal rights and access to higher education. If the UK government is taken to the European Court of Justice, we may see a landmark case in determining the universal right of EU citizens to higher education, whatever their socioeconomic background.
There are still 2 years to go before this new tuition fees system is supposed to come into force: ample time for it to be replaced with something that is not based on the accumulation of yet more DEBT.
