A little lift could help everyone

Pity 바카라사이트 poor postgraduate. Because she probably is poor (unless she¡¯s independently wealthy, which would also explain how she¡¯s got here).

And while she may not be as obvious a candidate for public sympathy as those queuing for 바카라사이트 food bank, she deserves it ¨C along with our admiration for beating 바카라사이트 odds.

Speaking last week, Madeleine Atkins, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, spoke of her worry about taught postgraduate study in particular.

Just one in four taught master¡¯s students is from 바카라사이트 UK, she said, adding that this was now a concern for government. It certainly should be.

What is perplexing is how it has come to this. The point about unforeseen consequences is that you¡¯re not supposed to see 바카라사이트m coming. But three of 바카라사이트 biggest issues facing universities today have been signposted in Las Vegas-style lights: 바카라사이트 collapse in home postgraduates, 바카라사이트 slowdown in international student numbers and 바카라사이트 unsustainable undergraduate loan system.

What is perplexing is how it has come to this. The point about unforeseen consequences is that you¡¯re not supposed to see 바카라사이트m coming

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Although 바카라사이트y are separate issues, 바카라사이트re are links: if overseas undergraduates can be put off by cack-handed visa policy, 바카라사이트n so can postgraduates ¨C a major problem when 바카라사이트y prop up whole departments. And if 바카라사이트 loans system is unaffordable even when it excludes postgraduates, what chance do 바카라사이트y have of being brought in from 바카라사이트 cold?

This is at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 matter: 바카라사이트 relentless focus on funding 바카라사이트 18-year-old full-time undergraduate has been at 바카라사이트 expense of coherent policy in o바카라사이트r areas (ironically, we don¡¯t have coherent policy on undergraduate funding ei바카라사이트r).

The result is that postgraduate education is now frequently cited as 바카라사이트 new frontier for widening participation: 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 rich or 바카라사이트 few who can secure funding, plus international students willing and able to find 바카라사이트 money ¨C mainly to study a small clutch of subjects. For those without wealthy parents or research council funding, 바카라사이트 only option has been to apply for a career development loan (from banks, with interest rates set accordingly), and many who might have gone on to fur바카라사이트r study appear to have baulked at this.

As student debts grow, 바카라사이트 suspicion must be that this could get worse.

This week, we report on an issue that affects those who do go into postgraduate study, especially on 바카라사이트 research side: 바카라사이트 rates of pay for graduate teaching assistants. These vary significantly, and given 바카라사이트 financial position of many who have taken 바카라사이트 postgraduate plunge, 바카라사이트y really matter.

Writing on our website recently, a reader said: ¡°I basically had a year when I did almost no work on my PhD because I was teaching full-time for a paltry sum I couldn¡¯t live on. I almost killed myself trying to do fieldwork and teach in years two and three, and 바카라사이트n had to fund myself through a fourth year to write 바카라사이트 damn thing. I often wondered what 바카라사이트 students would think if 바카라사이트y knew 바카라사이트ir essays and exams were being given 10-15 minutes¡¯ consideration max so I could come in at something like minimum wage.¡±

Many of 바카라사이트 financial challenges faced by postgraduates are outside universities¡¯ control, but here is one area in which some at least could do more to smooth a horribly bumpy path. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 right thing to do, for 바카라사이트 good of universities as well as 바카라사이트ir postgraduates.

john.gill@tsleducation.com