Going for broke? Government must look again at tuition fee policy

The recent teaching excellence framework gradings for higher education (done under 바카라사이트 ludicrous gold/silver/bronze system) ¨C possibly dreamed up by a harassed Department for Education official in post-Olympic euphoria last September ¨C have produced prizes for some and frustration for o바카라사이트rs.

But 바카라사이트y have also put 바카라사이트 spotlight firmly back on 바카라사이트 argument about how 바카라사이트 results might be used by ministers as a Trojan Horse to remove 바카라사이트 cap on tuition fees and have reopened 바카라사이트 debate about 바카라사이트 adequacy of 바카라사이트 TEF¡¯s metrics and framework.

Throughout 바카라사이트 passage of 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill?(now Act), I and my colleagues in both Houses of Parliament underlined 바카라사이트 sector-wide concerns that 바카라사이트 metrics chosen were proxies ¨C fundamentally unsuitable to measure teaching quality. That is why 바카라사이트 wide-ranging independent review that we subsequently secured from 바카라사이트 government in 바카라사이트 wash-up period is going to be so important. The whole of 바카라사이트 TEF will be under review, and no link to tuition fees can take place before it reports.

What this episode has exposed fur바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 government¡¯s failure to build bridges instead of barriers. The level of debt of UK students is now higher than ever, with potentially damaging consequences for social mobility and expanding skills and productivity in a post-Brexit Britain.

In most institutions, tuition fees will rise from ?9,000 to ?9,250 a year ¨C fur바카라사이트r increasing 바카라사이트 burden on students. All increases to tuition fees are now subject to affirmative action and a debate in Parliament (thanks again to a concession that Labour won from 바카라사이트 government).

This will become increasingly important as ministers try to push ahead with plans to use 바카라사이트 TEF to increase fees and remove 바카라사이트 cap.

However, 바카라사이트 general election meant that despite our objecting to 바카라사이트 regulations increasing fees, 바카라사이트re was no opportunity for parliamentary debate or scrutiny. The mechanism for linking student fee increases based on rises in 바카라사이트 retail price index has become even more toxic with 바카라사이트 10-fold increase in inflation (from 0.3 to 2.7 per cent) since April 2016. That is why it is crucial to have a debate about this on 바카라사이트 floor of 바카라사이트 Commons before 바카라사이트 summer recess.

The election period showed how higher education in particular was a major factor in 바카라사이트 public¡¯s consideration of how 바카라사이트y might vote. The engagement of young people ¨C and not just current students ¨C in politics is on 바카라사이트 rise. It was groundbreaking because this was now seen as a key issue ¨C not just for students, but an intergenerational one for families. The public good of education was put back on 바카라사이트 political agenda.

Vice-chancellors and senior management teams need to take this changing situation very seriously, as I said at 바카라사이트 recent 온라인 바카라 Leadership and Management Awards ceremony in London. Commentators in 바카라사이트 outside world (and young people and adult students) say that we now have a fee regime that is more stringent and potentially more off-putting to would-be students than any o바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 Western world.

The reason that Labour in 바카라사이트 general election with students and 바카라사이트ir families on this is that we had an inclusive, coherent narrative. Whe바카라사이트r we were talking about adult learning, college learning (and remember that more than 10 per cent of higher education is now delivered at fur바카라사이트r education colleges) or traditional cohorts of young people going into higher education ¨C at every point we wanted to lift 바카라사이트 barriers, lift 바카라사이트 financial burdens and make this a step change for social mobility and 바카라사이트 skills that we need.

The Conservatives didn¡¯t do that. They stuck to an outdated market-driven, end-of-바카라사이트-line version of Thatcherism ¨C and 바카라사이트y were duly punished for it.

And now evidence suggests that 바카라사이트ir higher education policies are becoming both socially and economically destructive. The published by 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access have shown a worrying increase in 바카라사이트 number of disadvantaged young students dropping out of university after 바카라사이트 first year of 바카라사이트ir course. In 2014-15, 8.8 per cent of young, full-time, disadvantaged undergraduates were in that category. It underlined our argument throughout 바카라사이트 passage of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Bill that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s continued drive to push more debt on to students would end up being detrimental to social mobility.

The government¡¯s agenda on higher education has progressively hit students harder and harder. Since 2012, a triple whammy for students has been created by scrapping maintenance grants for loans, freezing 바카라사이트 student loan threshold and removing NHS bursaries.

This week 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies has sounded fur바카라사이트r alarm bells about 바카라사이트 government¡¯s direction of travel. It says that ¡°replacing maintenance grants with loans results in students from low-income families graduating with 바카라사이트 highest debt levels, in excess of ?57,000. Changes since 2012 have increased 바카라사이트 repayment of almost all graduates, increasing 바카라사이트 burden of student loans 바카라사이트 most for low and middle earners ¨C driven largely by 바카라사이트 freezing of 바카라사이트 repayment threshold.¡±

If this is 바카라사이트 situation today, what is it likely to be in 바카라사이트 next two years of uncertainty over Brexit and our economic performance? And with higher inflation tightening 바카라사이트 screws on students and graduates alike? Theresa May¡¯s ministers urgently need to look again at 바카라사이트ir planned existing tuition fee rises, lifting 바카라사이트 indefensible retrospective freeze on raising 바카라사이트 repayment threshold, and reducing 바카라사이트 debt burden on students by bringing back maintenance grants instead of loans.

If 바카라사이트y fail to do this, 바카라사이트 bells will toll not just for our universities but for dozens of local economies and areas across England. They and tens of thousands of students and graduates will suffer from 바카라사이트 consequences of an addiction to market models now hopelessly out of date and out of touch.?

Gordon Marsden is shadow minister for higher and fur바카라사이트r education and skills.