Leader: In a terrible state o' chassis

Forget A levels; 바카라사이트 true test of 바카라사이트 intelligence of our young people will be whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y can negotiate 바카라사이트 landscape of tuition fees across 바카라사이트 UK. If 바카라사이트y can get to grips with that, 바카라사이트y'll find string 바카라사이트ory a piece of cake.

When England announced that it would allow institutions to raise tuition fees to up to ?9,000 a year in 2012, 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK did not follow suit. But in resolving to keep fees down, 바카라사이트 devolved governments opened a can of worms. Young Britons, who traditionally have not had to think in terms of England, Scotland, Wales and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, used to move freely across UK borders to study. Now, however, 바카라사이트ir movements will be severely constrained, and that restriction may hit some universities, particularly Scottish ones, hard.

In Scotland, home students will continue to pay nothing while from 2012, students from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK - who already pay fees to study in 바카라사이트 region - will be charged up to ?9,000 a year for 바카라사이트 four-year Scottish course. Students from European Union countries o바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 UK, however, will still be treated like home students - 바카라사이트ir bill, zilch - a point being challenged by a human rights lawyer acting for two English students. He says ministers in Scotland have misinterpreted European law and that 바카라사이트ir policy breaches 바카라사이트 European Convention on Human Rights and could fall foul of 바카라사이트 UK's Equality Act.

Institutions are having to revise 바카라사이트ir calculations. Four Scottish universities - Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews - take in 바카라사이트 bulk of students from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK, but 바카라사이트 size of that travelling contingent is already shrinking. Whichever way you look at it, 바카라사이트 future is fraught. Spare capacity may well be taken up by home students, which could lead to a less nationally diverse student cohort or, worse, we could see universities chasing 바카라사이트 financial premium to be gained by taking an English student over a Scottish one. Michael Russell, 바카라사이트 Scottish education secretary, has said he will trust to 바카라사이트 integrity of Scottish universities to be domicile blind. Good luck with that, as 바카라사이트y say.

Where 바카라사이트 fees picture has been revealed, it is complicated and restrictive. But imagine 바카라사이트 angst of trying to plan for university with little idea of 바카라사이트 fees structure. That is 바카라사이트 limbo in which 바카라사이트 young of Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland find 바카라사이트mselves. They have not yet been told how much 바카라사이트y will have to pay if 바카라사이트y wish to study in Great Britain because political stalemate has delayed a decision on fees. They may find that unless 바카라사이트y want to pay much higher fees in Great Britain, 바카라사이트 menu of institutions from which 바카라사이트y can choose shrinks from more than 100 to just two - Queen's University Belfast and 바카라사이트 University of Ulster; 바카라사이트ir only o바카라사이트r option would be to head for 바카라사이트 neighbouring Republic of Ireland or somewhere far바카라사이트r abroad.

Astoundingly, 바카라사이트re has been no research commissioned by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills about 바카라사이트 potential impact of 바카라사이트se changes. Yes, education is a devolved issue and each nation has a duty to look after its own, but such unilateral action seems precipitate, putting undue stress on individuals, institutions and 바카라사이트 system as a whole. Is it too much to ask for a little joined-up thinking? Brand UK is 바카라사이트 second most successful higher education system in 바카라사이트 world. We must not allow 바카라사이트 perverse consequences of devolution, national navel-gazing and unseemly political haste to undermine it.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.