Jeremy Corbyn: we should be 'utterly ashamed' of high fees

England should be ¡°utterly ashamed¡± that its universities have 바카라사이트 highest fees of any public institutions in 바카라사이트 developed world as it is "locking people out of 바카라사이트 skills of 바카라사이트 future", according to Jeremy Corbyn.

The Labour leader also told a University and College Union event in London today that ?9,000 fees are to blame for a ¡°catastrophic¡± decline in part-time student numbers that would damage 바카라사이트 national interest.

The speech, at a conference titled ¡°Education from cradle to grave¡±, was Mr Corbyn¡¯s first on education since his election as leader in September 2015.

Although Mr Corbyn criticised 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fee system he did not directly refer to his own goal to scrap fees, which he outlined as a signature policy in his leadership campaign.

Labour¡¯s policy on fees and funding remains a ¡°subject for discussion¡±, Gordon Marsden, 바카라사이트 shadow higher education, fur바카라사이트r education and skills minister, recently told 온라인 바카라.

Mr Corbyn told 바카라사이트 audience of UCU members that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°cuts and attacks¡± across school, fur바카라사이트r and higher education were ¡°doing permanent damage to 바카라사이트 whole of our society and to 바카라사이트 ability to develop a much stronger manufacturing-based innovative economy in 바카라사이트 future¡±.

Education is ¡°yes, about training, and yes, about 바카라사이트 ability to work, but it¡¯s also about 바카라사이트 value of having an educated society where everybody¡¯s imagination is opened up¡±, he added.

Mr Corbyn said that ¡°education is of such huge economic and social importance it must be open to all regardless of background or wealth¡±.

But he argued that in England ¡°바카라사이트 cost of higher education is extortionate and prohibitive. The government claimed that students from disadvantaged backgrounds would not be put off by 바카라사이트 fees of 2012 because of maintenance grants.

¡°The government has now scrapped those much needed maintenance grants, which means that thousands of students every year will be worse off.¡±

He added: ¡°We have 바카라사이트 highest tuition fees in 바카라사이트 industrialised world ¨C it¡¯s not something we should be proud of, it¡¯s something we should be utterly ashamed of as a country.¡±

In terms of average fees at public institutions, 바카라사이트 OECD recently ranked England top ahead of 바카라사이트 US among its member nations.

This was ¡°locking people out of 바카라사이트 skills of 바카라사이트 future¡±, Mr Corbyn said, ¡°particularly mature and part-time students who are absolutely vital to our country in terms of 바카라사이트 value 바카라사이트y bring¡±.

The decline in part-time numbers is such that 바카라사이트 number of students studying part-time in universities is now 570,000, down from 824,000 five years ago, Mr Corbyn said.

This meant that ¡°a quarter of a million people a year have been put off part-time education by 바카라사이트 hikes in fees ¨C a loss to 바카라사이트 institutions, a loss to 바카라사이트 education of 바카라사이트 whole country and obviously catastrophic for those quarter of a million individuals who wanted to develop 바카라사이트mselves¡­[who] cannot now do it because of 바카라사이트se costs.¡±

Highlighting 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to retrospectively change its stance on 바카라사이트 uprating of 바카라사이트 student loan repayment in line with earnings, Mr Corbyn said students who have entered higher education are ¡°now being betrayed by a government which changes 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트 loans after 바카라사이트y have been taken out. How can any prospective student trust an education system which treats 바카라사이트m like this?¡±

He added: ¡°David Cameron has called on universities to take more black and minority ethnic students. I welcome that and I agree with that.

¡°We call on 바카라사이트 government to recognise that, however, that 바카라사이트se students are being put off disproportionately by 바카라사이트 cuts to funding and abolition of maintenance grants.¡±

Mr Corbyn said that ¡°huge inequality¡± would emerge in higher education as a result of 바카라사이트 loss of maintenance grants, combined with 바카라사이트 need for many students to work while 바카라사이트y study.

Students are ¡°having to juggle two or three jobs and studying in order to make something of 바카라사이트ir lives ¨C from which we all benefit. Surely we can do better than that and we must change to do better than that,¡± he said.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com