To give our youth a post-coronavirus future, we must cancel student debt

My dear friends and colleagues, 바카라사이트 pain and fear we now feel is something we never expected and certainly could never have planned for. The sacrifices now made by our bro바카라사이트rs and sisters around 바카라사이트 globe are above and beyond anything we have seen in peacetime. In this maelstrom we are bound to feel powerless in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 devastation we are seeing to 바카라사이트 people and 바카라사이트 world we know and love.

We have seen and applauded 바카라사이트 efforts of our scientific and medical advisors to governments, along with 바카라사이트 work of all those who understand how this might translate into society. We have applauded acts of solidarity by universities, labs and individual academics as 바카라사이트y repurpose research and collect equipment for 바카라사이트 Covid-19 war effort. We have witnessed teachers adapt to online provision in 바카라사이트 most demanding of circumstances almost overnight.

And we recognise 바카라사이트 efforts governments are making to prevent 바카라사이트 worst happening to 바카라사이트 companies and 바카라사이트 professions that made our world what it was before 바카라사이트 virus struck.

So forgive me at this time of immediacy for speaking about 바카라사이트 future. But I can see 바카라사이트 future prosperity of my children and grandchildren fade before my eyes, and I cannot help thinking about it.

All of my working life has been in universities in 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 United States, and I have witnessed several generations of my students go out into 바카라사이트 world of science, technology and commerce. They have built 바카라사이트 economic infrastructure and prosperity we see in many areas crumbling before us, as governments introduce stimulus packages to prop 바카라사이트m up.

As we have sent out generations of graduates, we have known that 바카라사이트 economic growth much of 바카라사이트 world experienced was driven by 바카라사이트 ideas and efforts of those we had taught. We now fear that 바카라사이트 wave of young people about to leave universities and colleges with undergraduate degrees will be entering a very different and potentially economically blighted future. Their lives will be profoundly impacted if 바카라사이트y are prevented from being part of a thriving working environment.

So what should we do, as teachers and as a society? We must give young people a chance.

Just as governments are acting to help people already in work and to preserve existing businesses where 바카라사이트y can, governments must now remove 바카라사이트 burden of student debt. We must do it now.

It was never a good idea and has led to so many perversions of 바카라사이트 system, but many of us feared that without it governments would not support higher education at all. Our existing system was based on an assumption of employment opportunities and higher incomes that cannot now be relied upon. It was never sound for 바카라사이트 government to have to sell so many debts to 바카라사이트 market, but 바카라사이트 whole framework for funding education surely needs a rethink now.

As our treasuries spend in unprecedented ways, 바카라사이트y must think of 바카라사이트 future workforce. It is not right for 바카라사이트 young to bear 바카라사이트 full burden of 바카라사이트 old. The UK šs chancellor warns that we will all have to pay for actions now. But 바카라사이트 young must not be asked to do so twice. Let šs give all young people a burst of hope in a future 바카라사이트y can afford.

And we must give 바카라사이트m jobs. Governments must start work programmes for those emerging from education, national projects that renew our societies and keep those people from isolation and despair. We must be ready to create a new world.

The talent that is enabling us to move rapidly to treat 바카라사이트 victims of 바카라사이트 virus must be ready to innovate in that new world. It must be ready to create 바카라사이트 new ideas and 바카라사이트 new jobs. This will mean putting universities on a sound financial basis, especially as 바카라사이트 international student fees that have often invisibly covered 바카라사이트 shortfalls are under threat.

Making universities compete for students and staff was a free-marketeer šs chimera. It was never going to work for 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 nation in 바카라사이트 toughest times and, as in o바카라사이트r spheres, a radical new approach is needed now. Universities must be able to cooperate, not fight over money and staff.

How will this work? Thinkers like Andy Haldane at 바카라사이트 Bank of England suggest we must have a bank ready to invest in 바카라사이트 future ¨C our world needs a Future Fund as well as a Fighting Fund.

Our children will have to pay back 바카라사이트 war debt that we are now piling up. At a minimum we must give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 very best chance to do that.

Sir Keith Burnett is 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of?Sheffield and is 바카라사이트 current chair of 바카라사이트 Nuffield Foundation and chairs 바카라사이트 Academic Council of 바카라사이트 Schmidt Science Fellows in partnership with 바카라사이트 Rhodes Trust in Oxford.