UK Education Reforms 2010

[quizonmyface]

So there have been a number of education reforms announced in the UK recently; including a change in policies that could see university student fees triple by 2014, the slashing of secondary educational maintenance allowances and the new schools for the future fund amongst many others. In response, students held protests across the UK today and many have argued that the reforms are a ploy of the conservative government's in order to secure a more exclusive education hierarchy whereby which only those in the upper classes can afford to go to university.

I was just wondering if anyone here has an opinion on this?

P.S. I apologise if this is a duplicate thread, I have used the search function and looked round the forums manually.

[E=MCHAMMER]

The University fees are a load of shit

[bridgeofeldin]

Brits were lucky that their government subsidized college education for them. According to this (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/world/europe/11london.html), the tuition will cap at $14400. My tuition is twice that...

[setyourboner]

Having a quality education should be a right for all citizens, not just the privileged. This will not help, and could further polarize wealth and power in the U.K. I'm curious to hear the conservative arguments though? I'm open to counter arguments if anyone has them. Are universities public institutions in the U.K, and conservatives are striving to make them more privatized or what?

[Spenny]

Brits were lucky that their government subsidized college education for them. According to this (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/world/europe/11london.html), the tuition will cap at $14400. My tuition is twice that...
And my tuition, with books, is about $3000 a term. Gotta love Canada!

[bridgeofeldin]

And my tuition, with books, is about $3000 a term. Gotta love Canada!

That's how it should be man. One of these days I'm going to flee to Canada.

[aoftbsten]

Fee's going up does suck, but I don't have too much sympathy with the out-of-state tuition I have to pay.

Those student protests got intense though.

[blinkme]

I feel sorry for all students that will have to pay these fees. I started Uni the year before the top up fees were introduced. There's no way I would be able to afford to go to University now. Unfortunately, I can't see these protests making much of a difference.

[Thesleepingwell]

I feel sorry for all students that will have to pay these fees. I started Uni the year before the top up fees were introduced. There's no way I would be able to afford to go to University now. Unfortunately, I can't see these protests making much of a difference.

I don't know. But when I was a student at college, most of us admitted that we'd find going to University way too expensive. Fees were one of the things that put me off going in the end.

The Tories talked about this and that, but they'll only make it worse.
Sadly because we have a right-wing government that has alienated students and the fact the Lib Dems whose growing strength in support came from students and young people who want change. Of course those students are angry at them for going against their manifesto.

I couldn't blame them. I voted Lib Dem for that reason myself. I wish to go to University some day in the future (I'm 25 so why not) and now the fact it will cost an absolute ton, is fustrating. I don't trust the Tories on education because they'll make an excuse to cut funding to it.

I'm going to stop. I'll get on a major soapbox.

/stoppingpotientialrant

[caveBEAR]

We just got subsidized loans here in the states. Being poor is finally awesome.

[Tomamo5]

I took part in a large protest in Bury, which included both my college (Holy Cross) and Bury College against these reforms. It went well and we made sure it was fairly peaceful. I'm most infuriated about how two-faced Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems are. I know so many people that just won't be able to afford to go to university if these cuts are put into place.

[blinkme]

I don't know. But when I was a student at college, most of us admitted that we'd find going to University way too expensive. Fees were one of the things that put me off going in the end.

The Tories talked about this and that, but they'll only make it worse.
Sadly because we have a right-wing government that has alienated students and the fact the Lib Dems whose growing strength in support came from students and young people who want change. Of course those students are angry at them for going against their manifesto.

I couldn't blame them. I voted Lib Dem for that reason myself. I wish to go to University some day in the future (I'm 25 so why not) and now the fact it will cost an absolute ton, is fustrating. I don't trust the Tories on education because they'll make an excuse to cut funding to it.

I'm going to stop. I'll get on a major soapbox.

/stoppingpotientialrant

Tuition fees were £1200 a year while I was at Uni (2005-2008), which I think is a reasonable price for a decent education. I got the maximum loan and worked to help pay for everything, but it was definitely worth it. I recommend you check out the open university website if you want to do a degree and work at the same time. I'm doing a masters with them now, it's a lot of fun and flexible.

[deanster321]

It's frustrating even as someone who has opted out of going to uni so far. The way the protests went in places pisses me off nearly as much.

[Thesleepingwell]

The UK governement is going to vote on tutition fees next Thursday. Even if it goes through, I can see this becoming a shitstorm for the Lib Dems.

[paper halo]

The UK governement is going to vote on tutition fees next Thursday. Even if it goes through, I can see this becoming a shitstorm for the Lib Dems.

They've already lost almost all of the support they briefly gained. Forming a coalition with the Tories has done them no favours.

[secretsociety92]

323 voted for and 302 voted against cutting the majority by a third. Lib Dems are liars and could of easily not let this pass, fees going up by an unfair amount, budget of universities as a whole is cut by 80% and EMA (Education & Maintenence Allowance) which I and many others depend on for college is going by next year. Hopefully this will get scrapped from the outrage that has been displayed today.

[Paulb-182]

The people 'protesting' are total idiots. Not helping any cause and support they could have had from people.

[paper halo]

The people 'protesting' are total idiots. Not helping any cause and support they could have had from people.

I keep seeing this view expressed and I'm yet to hear an alternative suggestion. Protest is a democratic right, and is far preferable to apathy. The violence being perpetuated by the few anarchists does not alter the message sent by the rest.

[Paulb-182]

I keep seeing this view expressed and I'm yet to hear an alternative suggestion. Protest is a democratic right, and is far preferable to apathy. The violence being perpetuated by the few anarchists does not alter the message sent by the rest.

Burning things, smashing windows and turning over buildings, graffiti. Who's going to say oh yeah smashing job, we'll reduce them all now.

I mean it's quite obvious these things aren't actually going to change anything, as the protests to the war proved, but there are many better ways to get this point to people than destroying things and generally making themselves look mindless fools/yobs.

[paper halo]

Burning things, smashing windows and turning over buildings, graffiti. Who's going to say oh yeah smashing job, we'll reduce them all now.

I mean it's quite obvious these things aren't actually going to change anything, as the protests to the war proved, but there are many better ways to get this point to people than destroying things and generally making themselves look mindless fools/yobs.

I'm not condoning violence by any means, but I stand by the view that protest is preferable to apathy. What methods would you suggest outside of peaceful protest?

[Paulb-182]

I'm not condoning violence by any means, but I stand by the view that protest is preferable to apathy. What methods would you suggest outside of peaceful protest?

Peaceful protest is fine, a good way to show displeasure with things taking place, not that I believe it ever comes to anything though unfortunately.

People in a position of power at Universities and educational bodies should make a stand against this kind of thing, and be allowed to speak to the people making these kinds of rash decisions. Maybe they just don't care enough about the students themselves though as long as they get paid?

[paper halo]

Peaceful protest is fine, a good way to show displeasure with things taking place, not that I believe it ever comes to anything though unfortunately.

People in a position of power at Universities and educational bodies should make a stand against this kind of thing, and be allowed to speak to the people making these kinds of rash decisions. Maybe they just don't care enough about the students themselves though as long as they get paid?

Peaceful protest has worked well in the past, not recently however.

I believe some universities have backed their students, not sure how many. A lot of the current anger is also going to be directed at politicians breaking promises, and the perception of Tories screwing the poor. It's not nearly that simple, but perception is what counts here.