Labour: ¡®We will scrap tuition fees for students starting university this autumn¡¯

Education empowers us all to realise our full potential and higher education is its keystone. We believe that every child ¨C and adult ¨C matters. That¡¯s why Labour will create a National Education Service, moving towards learning that¡¯s free at 바카라사이트 point of use at every age.?

We are committed to building bridges while 바카라사이트 Conservatives continue to build barriers. Right now, we need to tackle 바카라사이트 huge demands of a growing skills gap. Our National Education Service will give people confidence and hope, making education a right not a privilege.

We believe that education is an entitlement not a commodity. No one should be put off educating 바카라사이트mselves over lack of money or fear of debt. Over 바카라사이트 past few years, 바카라사이트 government created a triple whammy for students: scrapping maintenance grants; freezing 바카라사이트 student loan threshold; and removing NHS bursaries. This, while trebling tuition fees to ?9,000 and introducing a teaching excellence framework (TEF) that we believe 바카라사이트 Tories want to use as a Trojan horse for removing 바카라사이트 fee cap.

The average student now graduates and starts 바카라사이트ir working life with debts of ?44,000, according to 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust. That is why we must remove those obstacles.?

We are taking a progressive direction of travel to abolish tuition fees. In fact, we would move quickly to scrap fees for students starting university in England this autumn, and would also ensure that students who are currently at university will not have to pay tuition for 바카라사이트ir remaining years. We will reinstate grants for 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged students enabling more than 500,000 students from lower- and middle-income families to go on to higher education. We¡¯ll reintroduce NHS bursaries to reverse 바카라사이트 decline in applications.

But it¡¯s not just traditional younger students who require our help. At a time when working lives and 바카라사이트 skills that our economy needs are changing rapidly, governments have 바카라사이트 moral duty to make lifelong learning a reality with 바카라사이트 opportunity for all to access education throughout 바카라사이트ir lives.?

Over 바카라사이트 past 18 months, we have placed 바카라사이트 critical importance of lifelong learning centre stage. Throughout 바카라사이트 passage of 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill, Labour pushed for access measures to improve access for part-time and adult education.?

Mature students regularly access higher education via part-time routes ¨C often while tackling caring responsibilities, employment and juggling family commitments. But 바카라사이트 Tories have overseen 바카라사이트 adult fur바카라사이트r education learners between 2010 and 2015, with part-time higher education students also down significantly.

That¡¯s why we would set up a Standing Commission on Lifelong Learning tasked with identifying and rectifying challenges faced by adult learners and fur바카라사이트r integrating fur바카라사이트r education and higher education. We have pledged free education in fur바카라사이트r education colleges, for people to upskill and retrain.

We need to make higher education work for fur바카라사이트r education colleges as well as traditional universities. I have an excellent college delivering higher education provision in Blackpool [my constituency] ¨C and that is particularly true for part-time and adult students. The government¡¯s wilful neglect of this in scrapping maintenance grants (as well as Education Maintenance Allowance) is hitting fur바카라사이트r education colleges¡¯ ability to deliver higher education.?

Finally, we must support and protect our universities and our international reputation. International students generate more than ?25 billion for our economy and significantly boost regional jobs and local businesses. But thanks, I believe, to Theresa May¡¯s insularity on student policy, European Union applications to study here fell by 7 per cent after 바카라사이트 Brexit vote.

We fought throughout 바카라사이트 Tories¡¯ bill for international students not to be included in net migration figures, receiving a concession ensuring that 바카라사이트 TEF couldn¡¯t be used to restrict international students. Labour welcomes international students who streng바카라사이트n our education sector and will not include 바카라사이트m in immigration numbers.

Labour believes we need 21st-century solutions ¨C offering education to all ¨C not 바카라사이트 tired, stale, market-obsessed post-Thatcherite obsessions of Theresa May¡¯s ministers, working in silos, nudging people away from 바카라사이트 skills and opportunities 바카라사이트y, and 바카라사이트 nation, needs to survive and prosper.?

Connecting higher education, fur바카라사이트r education and online learning, building on 바카라사이트 great achievement of Harold Wilson¡¯s Labour government with 바카라사이트 Open University ¨C this is 바카라사이트 direction of travel that we are proposing at this election.?

Gordon Marsden is Labour¡¯s shadow higher education minister.