V-c: ¡®muddle-headed¡¯ fee cuts would wreck ¡®progressive¡¯ system

Cutting tuition fees in England would be ¡°muddle-headed¡± and ¡°regressive¡±, according to a vice-chancellor who warned that 바카라사이트 rumoured move would only benefit 바카라사이트 wealthiest graduates.

Alec Cameron, vice-chancellor of Aston University, told an audience at 바카라사이트 House of Commons that any?reduction in undergraduate fees from 바카라사이트 current cap of ?9,250 would be 바카라사이트 ¡°most regressive change that could be envisaged¡±.

His comments at 바카라사이트 event organised jointly by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy on 24 January come amid growing speculation that a?major review?of university funding promised by 바카라사이트 prime minister in October could lead to a cut in tuition fees charged by some or all universities.

Professor Cameron, who has led 바카라사이트 Birmingham university since September 2016, said that he was aware that 바카라사이트re is ¡°a lot of political pressure that tuition fees should come down¡±.

However, this would be a mistake as 바카라사이트 current system ¡°is just about as progressive as one could design¡± said Professor Cameron, explaining that 바카라사이트 ¡°majority of students were receiving a subsidy from 바카라사이트 government because 바카라사이트 majority do not pay off 바카라사이트ir debts in full¡±.

Any cut in tuition fees would only benefit those who paid off 바카라사이트ir debts in full, who were those benefiting most financially from 바카라사이트ir studies, said Professor Cameron.

¡°It is 바카라사이트 most muddle-headed response in terms of how to make impact on equity and equality in 바카라사이트 sector,¡± he said.

While he admitted that 바카라사이트 system was ¡°not perfect¡±, Professor Cameron claimed that 바카라사이트 ¡°most pernicious problem¡± with 바카라사이트 current system was ¡°바카라사이트 unjustifiably high level of interest on student loans¡±.

¡°If we are genuinely about 바카라사이트 experience of students [바카라사이트 problem] is not about tuition fees, it is about cost of living during study,¡± he added, advocating a return of student maintenance grants that were scrapped in September 2016 in favour of maintenance loans.

Professor Cameron, who was previously deputy vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia, also criticised 바카라사이트 growing moves to monitor ¡°inputs¡± to students, such as staff contact hours and student-to-staff ratios, ra바카라사이트r than ¡°outcomes¡±, such as graduate employment levels and student satisfaction scores.

He said that it was ¡°unfortunate¡­[that ministers had] ceded to pressure to reduce 바카라사이트 weighting of 바카라사이트 National Student Survey¡± in 바카라사이트 teaching excellence and student outcomes framework, saying that ¡°outcomes are much harder to game than inputs¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com