Following the Minister for Universities Michelle Donelan’s announcement yesterday that “Social mobility isn’t about getting more people into university” and “our young people have been taken advantage of” by universities.
In 2012, tuition fees in England were almost trebled by the Coalition government to £9,000 per year – and were raised again to £9,250 by the Conservatives in 2017.
Ms Donelan said students, “particularly those from families without a family history of going to university”, were being left with debts “that didn’t pay off in any sense”.
Emma Hardy MP said:
“During this pandemic our universities have proven their worth, supplying students to the front line, conducting world leading research and support for key workers. At a time when they’re working to support the National effort, they face a funding crisis, and the universities minister should be giving them her full support.
Education has been underfunded for a decade so if the Minister really wants to promote social mobility she must tackle the barriers to learning which include deep rooted poverty and disadvantage.
The Minister needs to recognise that every student is an individual with aspirations and abilities. Supporting universities to provide a rich and varied offer with a focus on excellence that enables students to reach their potential must be a priority.”
ENDS
Extracts taken from BBC News, full article can be viewed here.
