Press Releases for 2004

TUITION FEES: "MORE DEBT AND UNDER-FUNDED UNIVERSITIES"

29th January 2004

Average debt for individual adults in the UK is now about �7000. Parliament's decision on university tuition fees will cause more debt, whilst universities will still be under-funded. This is bad for individuals and for the economy. Dr Geoff Meaden comments:

"The government's Higher Education funding package is still inadequate. Despite a slightly improved student maintenance system and a minor funding boost for universities, the long-term problems remain. With tuition fees, the government has argued that those who gain a university education should pay. A government set on true social justice would, rather, be seeking to assist most people to achieve a professional education. We most certainly do not need 50% of people in the country with an academic education. At present, we lack over 60,000 skilled people in the construction sector alone (1). More people with construction skills would both enhance their earning power and enrich the economy as a whole with a wider spectrum of workers. A sustainable economy based on high technology resource re-use will demand that we bring in more people from overseas if we do not provide affordable access to education for all. The country needs pro-active encouragement of both further and higher education, in recognition that a university education ought not to be the only route to a decently-paid profession. A variety of Government subsidies could be removed(2) to help fund education for much-needed skills. However, we clearly need more apprenticeships (or the like), where the employers pay for the training. This could involve college day release programmes." ENDS C261 words

FURTHER INFORMATION: Dr Geoff Meaden, on 01227 456226 or 01227 767700. Contact address for this release: 33 St.Stephens Road, Canterbury.Notes:

1. Barker Review of Housing Supply HM Treasury, 2003.
2. Examples of avoidable subsidies or expenditures: �3-4 billion for the nuclear industry over the last couple of years; �13-14 billion to private road transport each year; about the same to the aviation industry each year; �760 million subsidising arms sales; all money spent on maintaining British nuclear weapons which have never been used in combat nor are ever likely to be. (Figures based on Green Party research and that of the Campaign Against Arms Trade).

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