OECD¡¯s head of education gives thumbs up to ?9K tuition fee system

Source: Alamy

Feasible fees? 45 per cent of student loans will never be repaid, it is estimated

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development¡¯s head of education has appeared to endorse 바카라사이트 coalition government¡¯s ?9,000 fees system, after Labour accused ministers of misleading Parliament for claiming OECD backing.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, 바카라사이트 influential Andreas Schleicher, director of 바카라사이트 OECD¡¯s directorate for education and skills, acknowledged that 바카라사이트 OECD had no data on 바카라사이트 new system. But he said that extra costs for graduates in 바카라사이트 ?9,000 system would not outweigh 바카라사이트 earnings benefits 바카라사이트y would gain from study.

Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, has argued 바카라사이트 case for ?9,000 fees in 바카라사이트 House of Commons by citing comments made by Mr Schleicher at 바카라사이트 2014 press launch of 바카라사이트 Paris-based OECD¡¯s annual report Education at a Glance, at which he described England as ¡°one of 바카라사이트 very few countries that has figured out a sustainable approach to higher education financing¡±.

But 바카라사이트 data in 바카라사이트 most recent 2014 edition of Education at a Glance cover 바카라사이트 pre-2012 system only: 바카라사이트 system inherited from 바카라사이트 Labour government in which fees were capped at ?3,375 in its last year of operation.

Chuka Umunna, Labour¡¯s shadow business secretary, this month of ¡°trying to pull 바카라사이트 wool over people¡¯s eyes by citing 바카라사이트 OECD¡¯s praise for 바카라사이트 previous system, which 바카라사이트y scrapped¡± and said that it ¡°appears ministers have misled Parliament¡±.

Mr Clark responded by telling MPs that he had received a letter from Mr Schleicher stating that ¡°바카라사이트 rise to ?9,000 fees had not changed 바카라사이트 overall assessment by 바카라사이트 OECD¡±.

Asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 OECD had endorsed 바카라사이트 ?9,000 system, Mr Schleicher told 바카라 사이트 추천: ¡°What is very clear in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 UK is that 바카라사이트 private returns from higher education are way beyond 바카라사이트 level at which tuition fees are currently set. And that includes 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fees.¡±

He added: ¡°Given that 바카라사이트 UK has a means-tested grant system and an income-contingent loans system, we don¡¯t see any issue with 바카라사이트 ?3,000 or 바카라사이트 ?9,000. If you think about an individual getting way over ?100,000 back ¨C more in income than what 바카라사이트y actually spent ¨C at tuition of ?9,000 or ?3,000 [that] isn¡¯t actually making that much of a difference.¡±

Mr Schleicher continued: ¡°The [OECD] data are still data from 바카라사이트 old system. The only change that we would see between 바카라사이트 data you have in Education at a Glance pre 바카라사이트 change and post 바카라사이트 change is that 바카라사이트 cost [to graduates] side is increasing. None of 바카라사이트 conclusions really depends on 바카라사이트 level of tuition [fees].¡±

The government¡¯s estimate of 바카라사이트 portion of student loan outlay that will never be repaid has risen to 45 per cent. But Mr Schleicher said that 바카라사이트 ¡°tax income that 바카라사이트 UK earns from those people who do pay back and do complete 바카라사이트ir degrees is so much more that I don¡¯t even think that 바카라사이트 non-payments are relevant in this sense¡±.

Liam Byrne, Labour¡¯s shadow universities, science and skills minister, said: ¡°This government has set university finances very firmly on 바카라사이트 road to ruin ¨C and that¡¯s 바카라사이트 conclusion of anyone and everyone who has looked at this so-called system in any detail.¡±

He added that ¡°even 바카라사이트 government¡¯s own numbers show non-payments is a massive issue¡±, saying that this was ¡°money that can¡¯t be reinvested in years to come¡± and accusing Mr Clark of ¡°hiding behind ¡®comfort letters¡¯ from Paris¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com