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[slapntickle]

Jeremy Corbyn has hit out at the state of higher education in England, saying the country should be “utterly ashamed” for having the highest level of tuition fees in the developed world in his first speech on education since being elected Labour leader.

Speaking at the University and College Union (UCU) conference, ‘Education: Cradle to Grave’, at the University of London on Friday, the politician also insisted how education “must be open to all, regardless of background or wealth” because it is of “such huge economic and social importance,” according to Times Higher Education (THE).

Mr Corbyn also expressed concern over the number of part-time students now turning their backs on higher education, and described how the number has fallen from 824,000 five years ago to 570,000 today.

He described these figures as “catastrophic” and said it was “a loss to the institutions... the education of the whole country,” reports THE.

With the news the Tories made a U-turn on a 2012 student loan promise - meaning students will now have to pay back more than the Government originally told them they had to - Mr Corbyn went on to say how these students were “being betrayed” by a government. He added: “How can any prospective student trust an education system which treats them like this?”

He did, however, praise Prime Minister David Cameron’s call on universities to take on more black and minority ethnic students: “We call on the Government to recognise, however, that these students are being put off disproportionately by the cuts to funding and abolition of maintenance grants.”

Sally Hunt, the UCU’s general secretary, also described how Conservatives are “poisoning the well for all” by driving up the cost of access to England’s universities - through higher fees and the axing of maintenance grants - while the governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland “may take a different view.”

She said: “The Government is intent, too, on recasting the relationship between teacher and taught in our universities - turning what was once a partnership in pursuit of knowledge into a mere transaction. For researchers, opportunities are narrowing and commercial and large scale corporate or government interests are coming to predominate.

“And so we ask: what is to be done in further education?”

Ms Hunt went on to highlight, what she believed to be, four fundamental areas which need to be looked at in order to make education accessible for all, including making reform of the admissions process a priority for UCU - if it is to “continue to argue for an alternative to the current policies.”

She also said job security for teachers - in order to enhance the student experience - was paramount, as is quality in public services which “comes at a price.”

She concluded: “My fourth point is: we need to stop waiting for someone else to save us. To build that progressive vision of education, to make the arguments for reform, and to fight for educators to be at the heart of policy are our jobs. We must work together.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/jeremy-corbyn-england-should-be-utterly-ashamed-of-having-highest-tuition-fees-in-industrialised-a6860556.html

[currentaffairs]

Very true.. Students from Wales aren't paying any tuition fees so how is that possible?

[gregory999]

[currentaffairs]

A friend of mine from Wales has a son at university. His son has zero to pay.

[gregory999]

[currentaffairs]

I am not sure if all of that info is applicable or up-to-date. Students in Wales get a fee grant automatically up to 5000 quid and it doesn't need to be paid back (not means tested). If the course fees are more than that then they can get a loan out. However, many universities in the UK are still charging around 4,500 a year so there wouldn't be any need to get more other than to cover your living costs:

Studying in Wales

'To pay for this, you can take out a Tuition Fee Loan to cover £3,810 of your tuition fees (this is repayable). You can also apply for a Fee Grant of up to £5,190 to cover the rest (this is not repayable). Neither is income-assessed.

You don’t have to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. If the Fee Grant covers your tuition fee, then that’s fine. If it doesn’t and you still don’t want to take out the Tuition Fee Loan, you’ll have to find another way to pay this difference.

The remainder of the fee will be paid via a tuition fee grant – so in the case of a £9,000 fee, you’ll pay £3,810 a year and the government will cover the remaining £5,190.'

http://university.which.co.uk/advice/student-finance/quick-guide-to-fees-and-finance-if-youre-studying-in-wales

Obviously, there are new rules coming in all the time and exceptions to cases, etc, etc.

[Shakey]

Scottish undergraduate students do not pay tuition, correct? Or is that no longer the situation?

The Scottish government tried to change that a few years ago, but it met with strong opposition. So tuition is still free for EU citizens, but not British students.

[Dedicated]

Shakey,

There are no tuition fees for Scottish undergraduate students studying in Scotland, as long as they were living in Scotland when they applied. Under European law, students from other EU member states share the same entitlement, but not students from England, Scotland or Wales. It is argued it is possible to discriminate between students from different parts of an individual member state but not to discriminate against those from other parts of the EU. A bit of an anomaly when you consider English taxpayers are subsidizing Scotland.

If you come from the rest of the UK, universities in Scotland will charge you variable fees up to a maximum of 9,000 pounds.

[Shakey]