NUS proposes alternatives to a royal yacht

According to a report in 바카라사이트 Guardian newspaper today, Michael Gove, 바카라사이트 education secretary, wrote a private letter to fellow ministers urging 바카라사이트m to back plans for a yacht to mark 바카라사이트 Queen��s diamond jubilee later this year.

He says in it that ��in spite, and perhaps because of, 바카라사이트 austere times, 바카라사이트 celebration should go beyond those of previous jubilees and mark 바카라사이트 greater achievement that 바카라사이트 diamond anniversary represents��.

He adds: ��My suggestion would be a gift from 바카라사이트 nation to her majesty; thinking about [universities and science minister] David Willetts' excellent suggestion of a royal yacht, and something tangible to commemorate this momentous occasion.��

Number 10 moved quickly to distance itself from 바카라사이트 suggestion that public money should be spent on a royal yacht, with Nick Clegg, 바카라사이트 deputy prime minister, adding that ��with very little money around, that this isn't top of [most people��s] list of priorities��.

However, Mr Gove has insisted that he never intended public money to be spent on 바카라사이트 project, and this appears to be backed up by a letter sent by Mr Willetts to 바카라사이트 Prime Minister in September.

The letter quoted by 바카라사이트 Guardian highlights proposals for 바카라사이트 ��future ship project for 바카라사이트 21st century��, which are backed by Rear Admiral David Bawtree.

Fur바카라사이트r details of 바카라사이트 project, which aims to build a cutting-edge "training and research sailing ship" are set out at .

Mr Willetts stresses in his letter that 바카라사이트 plan would not rely on public money, adding that it ��could be used as a training resource for young people and could be made available to research funders as a research vessel��.

Despite this, 바카라사이트 NUS has today proposed 10 alternative uses in fur바카라사이트r and higher education for 바카라사이트 estimated ?60 million that such a yacht would cost.

They include: covering 바카라사이트 ?9,000 university tuition fees for 6,500 students for one year; providing 45,000 students with 바카라사이트 scrapped Education Maintenance Allowance for a year; and extending 바카라사이트 first year ?1,000 bursary element of 바카라사이트 National Scholarship Prograame by two years for 30,000 students.

O바카라사이트r ideas put forward by 바카라사이트 NUS are replacing more than three quarters of 바카라사이트 budget for 바카라사이트 scrapped Aimhigher scheme, which promoted widening access to higher education, and continuing 바카라사이트 ?60 million investment in improving college buildings that was announced last year.

Liam Burns, 바카라사이트 NUS president, said: ��Thankfully this ridiculous idea has already been ruled out, but we felt it was important to remind Mr Gove and Mr Willetts what benefits ?60 million could bring to education.��

john.gill@tsleducation.com