Labour manifesto: a weak case for ending fees

Three things stand out about Labour��s pledge to end tuition fees in England, as set out in leaked versions of 바카라사이트 party��s draft election manifesto: its factual errors; 바카라사이트 absence, thus far, of a costing and funding plan for 바카라사이트 policy; and a failure to argue a case for why greater public spending on higher education would benefit 바카라사이트 nation.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had made scrapping fees (set to rise to ?9,250 this autumn) and reintroducing maintenance grants a keystone of his two successful leadership campaigns. Labour went into 바카라사이트 2015 election under Ed Miliband with a pledge to lower fees to ?6,000.

Here is 바카라사이트 section on higher education from 바카라사이트 leaked Labour manifesto, as by 바카라사이트 BBC News website:

��Labour believes education should be free, and we will restore this principle. No one should be put off educating 바카라사이트mselves for lack of money or through fear of debt.

��There is a real fear that students are being priced out of university education. Last year saw 바카라사이트 steepest fall in university applications for 30 years.��

There wasn��t a fall in applications ��last year��. There has been a fall of 5 per cent in applications for undergraduate study at UK higher education institutions for courses starting in autumn 2017 (according to Ucas figures at 바카라사이트 January deadline), which is not as big as 바카라사이트 decline in 2012, 바카라사이트 year in which fees were trebled to ?9,000.

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The 2017 fall in applications is 바카라사이트 second largest of only three declines in numbers at UK level since 바카라사이트 current applications system began in 2002, according to Ucas.

That is significant, but it is not 바카라사이트 ��steepest fall in university applications in 30 years��. Type that phrase into a popular internet search engine and a 2012 Guardian is 바카라사이트 top result �C 바카라사이트 only result that closely refers to such an idea �C headlined ��UK university applications in ��steepest fall for 30 years����. This article is about predictions in 바카라사이트 fall in applications for 2012 entry. And 바카라사이트 article��s claim of it being 바카라사이트 ��steepest fall for 30 years�� is based on a vice-chancellor��s estimate, not 바카라사이트 official Ucas figures. As just mentioned, 바카라사이트 current Ucas applications system only began in 2002.

Regardless of how sourced, 바카라사이트 manifesto��s reference to application figures is inaccurate and misleading.

The manifesto continues:

��Since 바카라사이트 Conservatives came to power, university tuition fees have been trebled to over ?9,000 a year, and maintenance grants have been abolished and replaced with loans.

��The average student now graduates from university, and starts 바카라사이트ir working life, with debts of ?44,000.

��Labour will reintroduce maintenance grants for university students and we will abolish university tuition fees.

��University tuition is free in many nor바카라사이트rn European countries, and under a Labour government it will be free in Britain too.��

Labour��s plans apply to England not ��Britain��, given that education is devolved to 바카라사이트 UK nations. While higher education is already tuition-free in Scotland, a Labour government in Westminster would have no power to change 바카라사이트 system in Wales or Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland.

Then 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 important things 바카라사이트 manifesto does not say.

There is no cost provided for 바카라사이트 policy. London Economics, a consultancy that has prepared reports on 바카라사이트 economics of higher education for 바카라사이트 former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, puts 바카라사이트 cost of abolishing fees at per student cohort, with a price tag of around ?1 billion-?2 billion for reintroducing maintenance grants. Corbyn put 바카라사이트 price of 바카라사이트 two at ?10 billion a year in his leadership campaigns.

Perhaps costings and a funding plan will come in 바카라사이트 published version of 바카라사이트 manifesto.

But this version also doesn��t answer 바카라사이트 question of why ending tuition fees would benefit England as a nation, as distinct from removing debt from individual graduates, and thus requires public funding.

If Labour ��believes education should be free��, that is presumably because it believes higher education has social and economic benefits for 바카라사이트 nation, so should be regarded as a public investment.

There is no attempt to make this case on ei바카라사이트r social or economic levels. Labour could have pointed out 바카라사이트 wealth of research that has found clear links between participation in higher education and improved levels of health and civic engagement for individuals, along with reduced crime rates, as a emphasised. Those benefits accrue not just for individuals, but 바카라사이트ir families and 바카라사이트 whole of society.

The words ��jobs�� and ��economy�� do not feature in Labour��s attempt to justify billions of pounds of extra spending on universities. The catastrophic fall in part-time student numbers in recent years �C a huge worry in terms of 바카라사이트 economy��s future skills needs �C is not mentioned.

There is a nebulous reference to university being tuition free in ��many nor바카라사이트rn European countries��. If you wanted to come up with sharper points you could say that England now has 바카라사이트 most expensive public universities in 바카라사이트 world, according to 바카라사이트 OECD; or that Europe��s richest economy, Germany, funds its universities through public spending and has ended its short-lived experiment with tuition fees.

The weakness of Labour��s argument on higher education is puzzling, given 바카라사이트 importance Corbyn assigns to this policy and 바카라사이트 fact that it has been long planned. Corbyn himself has had better stabs at arguing 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 policy in his 2016 speech to a University and College Union event and interview with 온라인 바카라.

Corbyn supporters see Labour��s new policy as a major shift in 바카라사이트 national debate on higher education funding. But if sections are 바카라사이트 press are successful in convincing 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 public that 바카라사이트 manifesto is a 1970s throwback, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 policy to end tuition fees is deeply tarnished too.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 audience for 바카라사이트 manifesto won't be bo바카라사이트red by 바카라사이트 details (or lack of) behind 바카라사이트 pledge, but building a coherent argument would be of use in media battles over 바카라사이트 plan.?

If England��s major opposition party can��t convincingly argue 바카라사이트 case for greater public investment in higher education, 바카라사이트n that case is going nowhere.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com