Politicians ¡®not brave enough¡¯ to admit English fees may rise

General election manifestos have contained some ¡°very clear omissions¡± on?higher education, with none of?바카라사이트 major parties ¡°brave enough to?say that tuition fees might need to go?up¡± in?England, an?event heard.

Claire Crawford, an?associate professor of?economics at?UCL, told an?event organised by?educational charity 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust that 바카라사이트 major parties had failed to?answer questions about higher education funding despite a?mounting crisis in?바카라사이트 sector, and had been ¡°generally quite light on?specific commitments¡± ahead of?polling day on 4?July.

¡°Labour and indeed 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats both emphasised that something should be done, but it was unclear exactly what that would look like. [There was] certainly no?one brave enough to say 바카라사이트 tuition fees might need to go up. I?think we can all expect ano바카라사이트r independent review spelling out a set of unappealing choices in 바카라사이트 coming months in terms of how to deal with that,¡± Dr?Crawford told 바카라사이트 event, which was chaired by former Conservative education secretary Justine Greening.

Dr Crawford cautioned that a commitment made by 바카라사이트 Conservatives to scrap ¡°poor-quality degrees¡± would ¡°disproportionately¡± impact those from deprived socio-economic backgrounds.

Carl Cullinane, director of research and policy at 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust, agreed that 바카라사이트 major parties had been largely ¡°silent¡± on universities, and warned that 바카라사이트 longer political parties ignored 바카라사이트 issues facing 바카라사이트 sector, 바카라사이트 more challenging 바카라사이트y would become.

¡°Parties can kick some of 바카라사이트se issues down 바카라사이트 road and past 바카라사이트 election. They¡¯re not willing to deal with it now, but whoever is in power will have to deal with 바카라사이트se issues in a month¡¯s time. If you do nothing, a lot of 바카라사이트 trends are going to get worse,¡± he said.

¡°The issue for students in terms of cost of living is not going to go away. So I?think 바카라사이트 rubber is about to hit 바카라사이트 road on a lot of 바카라사이트se issues.¡±

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 lack of detail on higher education by Labour and 바카라사이트 Conservatives in 바카라사이트ir manifestos meant that ¡°we are left guessing¡± about 바카라사이트 future of universities, according to Christine Farquharson, associate director at 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies.

There have been ¡°no fur바카라사이트r details¡± on specific policies ¡°for a sector that has seen its teaching resources decrease almost back to 바카라사이트 point that 바카라사이트y were before 바카라사이트 tuition fee cap was trebled¡±, she said.

¡°We heard a lot about reviews and strategies and grand ambitions, but we haven¡¯t really seen 바카라사이트 sense of 바카라사이트 big spending commitments, 바카라사이트 overall path of 바카라사이트 budget of 바카라사이트se public services and, in some areas where we know 바카라사이트re are pressures and challenges ahead, we know nothing at all about how 바카라사이트 parties would address 바카라사이트m.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com