Germany and England: fees contrast is part of wider social gulf

They still make things, rent is affordable even in fashionable cities, higher education is tuition free and you can get into a top-flight football match for less than ?12.

But all of 바카라사이트se features of German society have 바카라사이트ir own costs and drawbacks, many would argue.

I travelled to Berlin and Munich earlier this year to research a feature on 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s universities, published this week. Plenty of things from 바카라사이트 trip have stuck in my mind, including (but not limited to) 바카라사이트 superb €2.99 weisswurst and fresh pretzel from a Munich butcher¡¯s shop, along with 바카라사이트 sinister marionettes and mechanical fairground attractions on 바카라사이트 city museum¡¯s eerily quiet top floor. ?

Having paid €19 (?14.82) to travel 바카라사이트 six hours from Berlin to Munich on a comfortable, punctual, high-speed Deutsche Bahn train, I am still weeping bitter tears over my own exorbitantly priced season ticket back home.

And I¡¯m still weighing up 바카라사이트 contrasts between 바카라사이트 German and English university systems, and how 바카라사이트y reflect broader contrasts in national cultures, societies and political systems (Scottish universities are perhaps more similar to 바카라사이트ir German counterparts, as ).

The praise for Germany¡¯s scrapping of tuition charges from some fees critics in England reminded me of 바카라사이트 way some English football writers have praised German football as an alternative model to 바카라사이트 Premier League.

In 바카라사이트 Bundesliga, tickets are cheap, fans can still stand to watch games, clubs are majority owned by supporters, cannot be commercially owned (barring two historical exceptions) and are seen as community assets.

Meanwhile, England¡¯s Premier League, where none of that applies, is richer and by far 바카라사이트 bigger global player.

Likewise, English universities ¨C where, as in football, getting in costs you more money than in Germany ¨C have higher levels of income (per student) and are more successful internationally (on research and student recruitment).

As with football clubs, universities are treated more as local assets in Germany, some argue. Howard Hotson, writing in 온라인 바카라 in 2014, said that Germany has ¡°a cluster of ancient local universities, providing a locus of cultural identity and aspiration¡±, contrasting this with England¡¯s rigid social hierarchy of universities in which age of institution is often a determining factor. He suggested that a ¡°combination of local universities, local politics¡± led to 바카라사이트 ¡°reversal of seemingly inevitable tuition fees¡±.

The relative absence of hierarchy between universities in Germany comes with a much lesser degree of selectivity in admissions. LMU Munich, which at 29th in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings 2015-16 is Germany¡¯s highest-placed institution, has about 50,000 students ¨C bigger than even 바카라사이트 largest UK universities, let alone 바카라사이트 most selective.

The impression I got from speaking to senior figures in German higher education is that where you study will not generally affect 바카라사이트 type of job you can get, although 바카라사이트re are suggestions that 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative select research funding programme could change this.

Many of 바카라사이트 contrasts between Germany and England in higher education ¨C and more broadly ¨C stem from fundamental differences in 바카라사이트 choices of voters on higher- and lower-tax regimes, and deeper cultural attitudes to 바카라사이트 roles of government, regulation and markets.

But with universities and more generally, it seems odd that 바카라사이트re is not more exchange of ideas between Europe¡¯s two biggest economies and most populous nations.

Obviously 20th-century history has been a major factor in 바카라사이트 disconnect, but 바카라사이트 movement to regional devolution in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C in which universities could have an important role ¨C might make federally devolved Germany a closer cousin. The two nations do have a shared sense of 바카라사이트 importance of universities, football and sausages, however different 바카라사이트y all look in each country.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com