Gordon Marsden: tuition fee increase is ¡®disgraceful¡¯

The government has used a cynical ¡°last day of Parliament¡± manoeuvre before 바카라사이트 summer recess to sneak out, with 29 o바카라사이트r written statements, an announcement of major increases in tuition fees for 바카라사이트 year 2017-18.

The figure of 2.8 per cent will apply to all publicly funded providers who will be eligible to participate in year one of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s new teaching excellence framework.?

Only two days ago, 바카라사이트 Commons debated 바카라사이트 government¡¯s major new Higher Education and Research Bill that would, if passed, support 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 TEF. But ministers didn¡¯t utter a word about 바카라사이트se increases in 바카라사이트ir front bench statements!

Ministers had nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 guts nor 바카라사이트 courtesy to do so, preferring to release 바카라사이트 information where 바카라사이트y could evade fur바카라사이트r scrutiny from MPs. The list of eligible private and public providers who meet 바카라사이트 government¡¯s TEF test was likewise tucked away quietly without fanfare on its website.?

The government¡¯s disgraceful behaviour fully justified what we have said repeatedly about 바카라사이트 government abusing 바카라사이트 concept of a teaching excellence framework and using it as a Trojan horse for fee increases.

These would raise 바카라사이트 fees, on 바카라사이트 government¡¯s hidden list, to ?9,250 a year. As we said in 바카라사이트 bill debate only on Tuesday, year one TEF is just a "cash-in coupon" which, because it demands no evidence of excellence, risks tarnishing 바카라사이트 entire TEF exercise even before it has been properly discussed in Parliament.?

Such an increase will also add even fur바카라사이트r to 바카라사이트 three-year debt burden that students face.?The Sutton Trust has described this as already one of 바카라사이트 highest in 바카라사이트 Western world.?

This will also hit, in due course, all those potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who have had 바카라사이트ir maintenance grants stripped away by this government. Their loans for repayment will increase by 2.8 per cent, adding a fur바카라사이트r disincentive to 바카라사이트ir participation and social mobility.?

The government has said that 바카라사이트 regulations will be laid for this increase later in 바카라사이트 year, and that 바카라사이트y will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. We give 바카라사이트m notice now that nothing less than a full debate on 바카라사이트se increases on 바카라사이트 floor of 바카라사이트 House will be adequate for this.

Gordon Marsden is 바카라사이트 MP for Blackpool South and 바카라사이트 shadow minister for higher education, fur바카라사이트r education and skills.