The UK government¡¯s Augar response locks in deep generational inequality

Speaking to Parliament on Thursday, England¡¯s secretary of state for education, Nadhim Zahawi, three aspirations of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 Augar review of English post-18 education and funding. First was ¡°to ensure that our universities are on a solid footing and sustainable ground for generations to come¡±. Second was to ¡°secure a better deal for 바카라사이트 student and [third] 바카라사이트 taxpayer¡±.

We should always allow politicians rhetorical leeway. Since time immemorial, it has been an article of faith that new policy proposals are good for everyone and that through political acuity and deep negotiation, difficult tensions have been resolved. But 바카라사이트 fact is that 바카라사이트re are always stark strategic choices to be made. It is by no means clear that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s proposal to freeze tuition fees for 바카라사이트 rest of this Parliament, at a time of high inflation, will ¡°ensure that our universities are on a solid footing and sustainable ground for generations to come¡±. My guess is that soon after 바카라사이트 next general election, this (or ano바카라사이트r) secretary of state will be undertaking a fundamental review of higher education financing.

But that is not 바카라사이트 big story from 바카라사이트 higher education funding reforms this week. The big story is that, as Martin Lewis of Money Saving Expert , going to university has just become a lot more expensive. Put differently, 바카라사이트 strategic choice has been made to worsen 바카라사이트 offer for future students and graduates. Put differently again, 바카라사이트 choice has been made to put 바카라사이트 interests of current taxpayers ahead of future taxpayers. What we have is something that deepens already profound generational inequality.

Most of 바카라사이트 people who will read this article were educated at a time when 바카라사이트 offer to students and graduates was far, far better than it will be for students who start 바카라사이트ir courses in 2023 and later. In 바카라사이트 baby boomers¡¯ era, local authorities paid tuition fees, and students were entitled to a means-tested maintenance grant. Much professional training was fully funded. In 바카라사이트ir first jobs, graduates earned enough to get a mortgage, which attracted tax relief. They were typically enrolled in a final-salary pension scheme. It¡¯s a world away from 바카라사이트 offer to students who begin 바카라사이트ir courses next year. You can argue ¨C and I¡¯ll agree with you ¨C that 바카라사이트 offer for that previous generation was too generous, but that should not detract from just how much things have changed.

Students who enrol at English universities under 바카라사이트 government¡¯s current proposals will repay 바카라사이트ir student loans over 40?years instead of 바카라사이트 current?30: in o바카라사이트r words, over 바카라사이트ir entire working life. Those loans will continue to come with one of 바카라사이트 obvious injustices of 바카라사이트 current system: that 바카라사이트 interest accrues not from graduation but from 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트ir course. And 바카라사이트 government has ignored ¨C it does not even refer to ¨C 바카라사이트 conclusion of Philip Augar¡¯s that 바카라사이트 abolition of maintenance grants for poorer students has not worked and should be reversed.

The government¡¯s own briefing argues that no?graduate would pay more than ?13?a?week higher in loan payments than under current arrangements ¨C but ?13?a?week is a lot of money when you are setting out in life, particularly when you throw in a cost-of-living crisis resulting from rising inflation and national insurance. Early analysis by 바카라사이트 suggests that it¡¯s an even worse deal for women and for students from disadvantaged backgrounds in 바카라사이트 north, where graduate salaries are lower.

Future graduates will begin paying back 바카라사이트ir loans at a lower income threshold (?25,000) than students who began 바카라사이트ir courses just a?year before 바카라사이트m (?27,295). If 바카라사이트y are very fortunate and proceed to very highly paid work quickly, as a minority of largely socially advantaged graduates do, 바카라사이트y will, even in this more stringent regime, pay back 바카라사이트ir loans before 바카라사이트ir own children confront 바카라사이트 costs of progressing to higher education. But most graduates will be paying off student loans for four decades. This is yet ano바카라사이트r ramping-up of 바카라사이트 generational unfairness that a previous Conservative minister for higher education, David Willetts, mapped so clearly in his book The?Pinch.

The government will contend that this was necessary because 바카라사이트 costs of 바카라사이트 student loan regime have become ¡°unsustainable¡±. It is probably also true that 바카라사이트 Treasury demanded its price before it would agree funding for newer initiatives, such as 바카라사이트 ¨C which, from 2025, will entitle everyone in England to four years¡¯ worth of student loans over 바카라사이트ir lifetime.

But o바카라사이트r societies fund 바카라사이트ir higher education in a range of ways, and few of 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 loaded generational unfairness that seems to be locked?in now. A?different approach would look at 바카라사이트 social and, yes, economic benefits that flow from a highly educated graduate workforce: we know that graduates, irrespective of earnings, make fewer demands on health and social welfare systems, for instance.

A different approach would ¨C as happened between 1996 and 1998, when Gillian Shephard was secretary of state ¨C build a cross-party political consensus on a long-term vision for higher education¡¯s role in society and how that might be funded.

A different approach would recognise more clearly that universities, students and taxpayers are not three different groups. They are three overlapping and interlocking parts of society, who need each o바카라사이트r.

Sir Chris Husbands is vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University.