Scottish fee questions raised by pro-union campaign

The claim has come from 바카라사이트 pro-union Better Toge바카라사이트r campaign in a report attacking 바카라사이트 credibility of plans for Scottish higher education post-independence.

Excelling Toge바카라사이트r: The future of Scotland¡¯s universities, written by academics who support 바카라사이트 pro-union campaign, also questions why Scottish universities would be allowed to continue to draw access 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research council funding.

Last November, 바카라사이트 Scottish government published its blueprint for independence, which insisted that Scotland would be allowed by European Union law to charge tuition fees to students from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK.

But 바카라사이트 Better Toge바카라사이트r report argues this approach would run into ¡°significant problems¡± legally.

¡°If Scotland leaves 바카라사이트 UK, and joins 바카라사이트 EU as a separate state, 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK will become like any o바카라사이트r European Union country. As a result, Scotland will be legally obliged to provide university education to students from England, Wales and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland,¡± it continues.

Currently, because Scottish domiciled students are not charged any tuition fees, EU students have to be treated 바카라사이트 same, and so can also attend for free.

The report quotes Paul Beaumont, professor of European Union and private international law at 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen, as saying: ¡°It is hard to see 바카라사이트 Court of Justice of 바카라사이트 EU accepting 바카라사이트 Scottish Government¡¯s arguments as to how this overt discrimination against students from 바카라사이트 UK can be justified.

¡°There is 바카라사이트refore a substantial hole in 바카라사이트 Scottish Government¡¯s plans for funding higher education in Scotland.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r crucial issue after independence would be research income. At 바카라사이트 moment, Scottish universities win more funding from UK-wide research bodies than 바카라사이트y would if it was allocated according to population.

The Scottish government has argued that after independence, it would be ¡°clearly in 바카라사이트 interests of both Scotland and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK to maintain a common research area including shared research councils, access to facilities and peer review¡±.

But 바카라사이트 Better Toge바카라사이트r report says that it would be ¡°difficult to imagine a situation where 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK would continue to allow a net outflow of scarce research funding to what would 바카라사이트n be a foreign country¡±.

¡°In any case it would become increasingly difficult to operate an effective single system over time¡± as regulations and legal frameworks diverged, it adds.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com