I WILL BE VOTING AGAINST THE CONDEM’S DISASTROUS PLANS TO PENALISE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

I received a communication from the General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) today in the wake of David Willetts’ announcement on higher education funding.

The future of higher education funding will be decided before Christmas. The University and College Union (UCU) is working to ensure that higher education is accessible to all those who might benefit from it without the fear of crippling debt. All those with the ability, NOT just the ability to pay should be able to access higher education.

UCU believes that it is unacceptable for students to be graduating paying double or triple the amount of fees above the current level. The government response to the Browne review along with the spending review proposals effectively means the privatisation of most of higher education as the cost of university is shifted from the state to the student and their family.

The UCU want to see world class education provided to students by a motivated workforce that is sufficient in number. Our higher education system is something to be proud of – it is world renowned – but it is danger of being fundamentally damaged by swingeing cuts and massively higher tuition fees.

Higher education contributes around £59 billion to the economy each year with over 2.5% of jobs depending on higher education funding.

We know that:

Over £1.2 billion has been cut from the higher education budget so far; and the CSRwill reduce funding by a further 40% by withdrawing all teaching funding for Arts Humanities and Social Sciences;

The government has cut 10,000 university places this year;

There has been a 23% increase in applications to university this year;

Last year around 190,000 people who had the ability and wanted to go to university missed out on a place;

At least 14,000 jobs have already been identified as at risk.

The UCU believes that increasing tuition fees will have a massively negative effect on students’ access to education. Research out this week from an NUS and HSBC study showed that 70% of students would be deterred by fees of £7000, never mind the £9000 proposed today.

Under the scheme announced today, graduates who earn the national average salary will be hit with tax bills 20% higher than non-graduates. Tomorrow’s teachers, scientists and doctors could see their tax bills rise by as much as a quarter. This amounts to a stealth tax on learning and aspiration.

The UCU does not believe that a market in education as currently proposed should not be an aim of any political party – nor do I.

Our higher education system is world class. The number of graduates leaving university each year has increased. The economy depends on a plentiful supply of graduate level worker leaving education each year.

A whole generation of young people have been told that the way to better themselves, their life chances and society is to go to university. Increasing fees and restricting access threatens to pull the rug out from under those young people at a time when they most need support.

I will certainly be voting against these disastrous plans when the measure to raise the cap on tuition fees is voted on the floor of the House in the next few weeks.