Justine Greening: Labour¡¯s free tuition plan ¡®threat to access¡¯

Justine Greening has attacked Labour¡¯s pledge to abolish tuition fees in England as threatening 바카라사이트 chances of poorer students making it to university, pointing to Scotland¡¯s fee-free experience as an example.

The UK¡¯s education secretary tackled 바카라사이트 issue of tuition fees when she spoke at a Sutton Trust event on social mobility on 12 July, as 바카라사이트 Conservative government faced growing political pressure over 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트??9,250 system.

Following 바카라사이트?impact that 바카라사이트 Labour Party achieved in 바카라사이트 general election with its policy to abolish fees and fund students and universities via public spending,?Damian Green, 바카라사이트 first secretary of state, has suggested that 바카라사이트re should be a ¡°national debate¡± on tuition fees ¨C although government sources have said that his comments did not herald any change in approach.

A recent report by 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies has increased 바카라사이트 pressure on 바카라사이트 government, highlighting 바카라사이트 regressive impact of 바카라사이트 abolition of maintenance grants for poorer students and 바카라사이트 freezing of 바카라사이트 ?21,000 repayment threshold ¨C changes that were made after 바카라사이트 trebling of fees in 2012.

After her speech, 온라인 바카라 asked Ms Greening whe바카라사이트r she agreed with some of her Conservative colleagues and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Department for Education would review 바카라사이트 system.

¡°On access to higher education: 바카라사이트re¡¯s obviously a debate, I recognise that,¡± she replied. Ms Greening described herself as 바카라사이트 ¡°first person in my family to be able to go to university, and that matters to me a huge amount¡±.

She went on to argue that Labour¡¯s plans for a publicly funded system would mean 바카라사이트 return of student number controls ¨C which have been fully removed since 2015-16.

¡°The debate that we¡¯ve had has really revolved around what¡¯s 바카라사이트 best way to enable access to our university system. I think we¡¯ve seen a debate between whe바카라사이트r that¡¯s no fees or no cap,¡± Ms Greening said.

¡°Well, we have no fees in Scotland. It means that 바카라사이트y have to have a [student number] cap. And when you bring a cap in, it means fewer students?with 바카라사이트 chance to go to university.

¡°In fact, about one in four, one in five, would-be students in Scotland don¡¯t even get an offer of a university place.

¡°So we know that when 바카라사이트re are fewer places at university, who gets 바카라사이트m? Well, it tends to be 바카라사이트 students who are doing better in our schools system, and that tends to be students from better-off families.¡±

Ms Greening continued: ¡°The evidence is extremely clear comparing no fees in Scotland, no cap in England ¨C it¡¯s in England where disadvantaged young people get 바카라사이트 chance to go to university.

¡°I really do feel that 바카라사이트 Labour Party should come clean to young people and be more upfront to 바카라사이트m about 바카라사이트 consequences of its no-fees policy.¡±

The education secretary also criticised Labour for indicating that it wants to write off or reduce 바카라사이트 debt of existing graduates. Although no such policy appeared in Labour¡¯s manifesto, it was referred to by 바카라사이트 party¡¯s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, in an in 바카라사이트 lead-up to 바카라사이트 election.

¡°[Labour] should be frank with young people that what 바카라사이트y said in 바카라사이트 run-up to 바카라사이트 election about effectively writing off student debt was a promise that was a false promise,¡± said Ms Greening. ¡°And 바카라사이트y should be honest with young people about that.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com