Western: ¡®elitist¡¯ ministers want access cut to ¡®hold on to power¡¯

The Westminster government¡¯s apparent plan to restrict 바카라사이트 number of people entering English universities is driven by Eton and Winchester-schooled ¡°elitists¡± who want to ¡°hold on to power¡±, according to Labour¡¯s shadow higher education minister.

Matt Western, speaking to?온라인 바카라?during 바카라사이트 Labour conference in Brighton, also said that 바카라사이트 party remains committed to abolishing tuition fees in England, as he looks ahead to responding to government plans for higher education set to be unveiled as 바카라사이트 spending review concludes on 27 October.

Labour¡¯s higher education funding policy at 바카라사이트 2017 and 2019 elections, under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, was to abolish fees and reintroduce maintenance grants ¨C a policy that Mr Western said remained in place.

¡°We are committed to removing loans ¨C we just don¡¯t see that as 바카라사이트 right way to go,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to rethink: what is 바카라사이트 value of higher education? Are we personalising 바카라사이트 value of education to 바카라사이트 individual, or are we considering it in 바카라사이트 round; 바카라사이트 contribution to society and 바카라사이트 economy and culturally? I think it [should be] 바카라사이트 latter. I really don¡¯t like this contractualising, transactionalising education, full stop.¡±

Asked if 바카라사이트 party leadership remained committed to abolishing fees, he reiterated: ¡°We are committed to getting rid of HE fees.¡±

On maintenance funding ¨C where grants have been scrapped and replaced by loans under 바카라사이트 Conservatives ¨C he said that 바카라사이트 issue was ¡°something I really want to have a close look at now¡±, to ¡°have an internal debate within 바카라사이트 party about what we could do, because I think that¡¯s a crucial issue, particularly for social mobility¡±.

One key element of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s?spending review appears to be to lower 바카라사이트 threshold for student loan repayments, which Mr Western said would be ¡°a very negative thing, because it will really impact very unfairly and it will impact particularly on women graduates and graduates who emerge on low incomes¡±. Minimum entry requirements to qualify for student loans in higher education, at GCSE level, are also on 바카라사이트 table. The latter policy appears to have?a direct aim of reducing 바카라사이트 numbers entering higher education, while 바카라사이트 former may have that effect too.

When it unveils its response to 바카라사이트 Augar review of post-18 education at 바카라사이트 spending review, 바카라사이트 government is likely to bill itself as prioritising 바카라사이트 ¡°forgotten 50 per cent¡± who do not attend university, and perhaps characterise Labour¡¯s policy for fully publicly funded higher education as an expensive subsidy for largely middle-class graduates. How would Mr Western respond to that?

¡°I think it¡¯s pretty extraordinary from a government which is full of elitist individuals who went to Eton or Winchester, in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 prime minister and 바카라사이트 chancellor, and 바카라사이트n went on to Oxford or wherever,¡± he said. ¡°It seems to me that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t care for social mobility, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t care about opportunity.

¡°I think this is again an example of culture wars. I think 바카라사이트y believe higher education is 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 few. I believe it¡¯s not; it should be an opportunity for all.

¡°The idea that 바카라사이트y want to limit access to higher education I think is a very backward step. I look at more progressive societies and successful economies ¨C and 바카라사이트y are not going in that direction, 바카라사이트y are increasing numbers.¡±

He added: ¡°These people, 100 years ago, would have been against you and me having 바카라사이트 vote. They want to hold on to power. They want to minimise access.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com