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04 November
Why Did The Government Ignore Student Concerns About Uni Fees?
UK
Students asked to march in London on Wed 10th November.
by
SoftwareGuru
Today's increase of up to £9,000 in University fees will
add fuel to the argument that it discourages students from third level education.
This blog's primary focus is education and technology. However,
as a company who communicates to parents and students every day
we are acutely aware of student issues.
Fees and funding is obviously the most important topic right now
for students. It's vital that students do not underestimate the
power of their collective voice.
For example, this blog has frequently pointed out that the more
people that post messages of support for this student discount
program on the likes of
Facebook and
Twitter, the more likely it is that it can continue.
The University fees increase announced this week by the Government
must likewise be greeted with your strong opinions and more
importantly, your presence at the forthcoming march in London.
Politicians will always make decisions based on the calculated
political cost.
The perception is most likely that students will complain loudly
but they won't become proactive enough to create any political
problems.
Unfortunately for MPs, the NUS and UCU have jointly launched a
campaign over at
Demo2010.org
designed to do just that.
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Make History This November
For real time information and opinions,
Twitter is the best place to find out what people are saying.
A twitter search for #uni or #fees will show the most recent
results.
On Wednesday
@channel4news
@bbceducation and
@timeshighered were all buzzing with debate surrounding the
University fees issue.
For the latest information on the Student March in London the
Demo2010.org website provides a wide range of resources
and downloads.
There is no doubt that one of the best courses of action to take
is to
Write To Your MP.
Follow the link above to visit the model letter to MPs provided
by the NUS and UCU.
Even if you can't attend the demonstration in London, your
efforts to express your concerns are important.
Parents and grandparents should also be encouraged to write
letters to their local MP on behalf of students they know.
Economic recovery and growth can only come from innovation and
education.
It's vital that students are not priced out of a third level
education, fearful of taking on too much debt.
You may wish to read the
UCAS information for current student finance arrangements.
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What The Media
Is Saying
On the issue of education
cuts and third level fees, let's see what the media have to
say...
BBC News:
"What's become clear today is that the government won't
simply defend their higher education proposals by pointing to
extra help for the least well off - but will also attack Labour
for a lack of an alternative."
Channel 4 News: "Those institutions charging higher fees
will also face new sanctions unless they increase the outreach
activities they undertake to attract students from lower-income
backgrounds, with those that fail to make progress towards their
targets of recruiting poorer students will have a proportion of
the income they earn above the £6,000 fee threshold diverted
into these activities."
The Guardian: "These proposals affect only English
universities. Scottish and EU students studying in Scotland do
not have to pay any fees. Students from the rest of the UK
studying there pay £1,820 per year. In Northern Ireland and
Wales, fees are a maximum of £3,290."
The bottom line is students in England will pay more for their
degrees.
If the Lib Dems want to salvage whatever shred of credibility
they have left, they'll need to do a lot more than just talk.
Maybe they could follow
Obama's example, he didn't have a great week either.
Until there is concrete proof that students from poorer
backgrounds are not now at a disadvantage, words alone are not
enough.
It's a fantastic opportunity for Labour to show they have better
ideas. Failure to do so will confirm people were right to remove
them from Government.
We'll give the last word to
NUS
President Aaron Porter speaking to BBC News.
"We're disappointed and we're angry. It is an utter betrayal
by a Government that is setting policy based on a number of
elite universities and not in the interests of students."
If you're a student visit
Demo2010.org now.
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Posted by
admin
at
18:25
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Why Did The Government Ignore Student Concerns About Uni Fees?