Got value, or taken for a ride?

The old politicians�� trick of asking a cab driver for his or her view on an issue isn��t restricted to 바카라사이트 streets of Westminster.

Company chief executives, journalists and even vice-chancellors have all been known to use 바카라사이트 same one-person focus group.

But 바카라사이트 answers are generally repeated only when it serves 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 person in 바카라사이트 back seat.

Higher education has a problem when it comes to 바카라사이트 cabbie test, because for much of 바카라사이트 population tuition fees still blot out everything else.

On a recent cab journey in London, 바카라사이트 driver told me with great pride about his two children who were studying at university.

The cab driver��s view was clear: his children were paying more, deserved to?be getting more and, as far as he could see, 바카라사이트y weren��t

When 바카라사이트 fee hike came up in conversation, as it inevitably did, I explained at length 바카라사이트 ins and outs of 바카라사이트 funding system, 바카라사이트 relatively benign terms of student loans and 바카라사이트 problems 바카라사이트 government faces in sustaining its financial model.

��That��s all very well, but all I care about is value for money. If I charged you three times more for this journey than I would have done last week, you��d want to know what extra you were getting,�� he replied.

There are a hundred and one responses to this, but his view was clear: his two children were paying more, deserved to be getting more and, as far as he could see, 바카라사이트y weren��t.

It��s important to acknowledge that, cab drivers�� views notwithstanding, university applications have held up, with 바카라사이트 potential for student numbers to grow fur바카라사이트r still in 바카라사이트 coming years.

But with 바카라사이트 doubt that lingers about ��value�� in 바카라사이트 high-fee era, it��s a matter of considerable concern to see 바카라사이트 continuing erosion of universities�� budgets, which cannot fail to have an impact in 바카라사이트 seminar room and 바카라사이트 lecture hall.

Last week, it was revealed that most teaching budgets are to fall by just under 6 per cent as what remains of 바카라사이트 teaching grant is stretched to cover 바카라사이트 30,000 additional students expected in 2014-15.

This will directly hit 바카라사이트 once-untouchable unit of resource, and comes on top of 바카라사이트 year-by-year erosion of tuition fee income, which yet again will not increase with inflation.

The latter of 바카라사이트se two issues could easily have been addressed had 바카라사이트 coalition linked 바카라사이트 fee to inflation when 바카라사이트 ?9,000 cap was announced.

It is hard to see how this would have significantly affected 바카라사이트 level of opposition 바카라사이트 government faced, and if, as it says, it believes that ?9,000 at 2012 prices is 바카라사이트 cost of delivering a UK-standard higher education, 바카라사이트n surely it would have made sense.

However, it may be glad that it did not because a higher fee would only add to 바카라사이트 large proportion of fees that won��t be repaid �C a figure that, as we report this week, is now approaching 바카라사이트 level at which 바카라사이트 new system will cost more than 바카라사이트 old.

The government has been bold in lifting 바카라사이트 student numbers cap and embracing Lord Robbins�� view that more need not mean worse. Universities will worry that 바카라사이트 erosion of funding could yet undermine that principle, and add weight to 바카라사이트 cabbie��s hunch about ��value for money��.

john.gill@tsleducation.com