Moving progressively backwards in Higher Education‏

“The system of payments is highly progressive” said Lord Browne yesterday in his report on university tuition fees. His comments were echoed by arch phoney Vince Cable: http://tinyurl.com/cvlzbo

Yet it is inverting the meaning of the word ‘progressive’ to describe reforms - which remove public subsidies and allow unlimited market forces into charging for higher education – as any thing other than a backward step where access to education for a majority of young people is concerned.

That’s why UNISON as a major higher education union is calling for the rejection of the Browne proposals.

Dave Prentis said: "removing the cap, and putting the cost of tuition fees up, will price many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds out of going to university. Others will be put off by the prospect of being saddled with thousands of pounds worth of debt. What matters to students is total debt; whether it is a fee, loan or graduate tax is irrelevant.”

"Many students already struggle to make ends meet during their course. The knock on effects could be disastrous, for example in 2013 the nursing profession turns all graduate. The recommendations in this report will do nothing to help keep people from all walks of life becoming a nurse. We are calling on the government to reject these proposals, and for the liberals in the coalition to remember their pre-election promises."
http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2008

The tragedy of these developments is that it was Labour in power who sowed the seeds for Browne’s reforms. Let it not be forgotten that it was the then Education secretary Alan Johnson who said that the introduction of tuition fees was "an extraordinary act of political courage" on the part of the Labour Government…
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23365430-backing-for-variable-tuition-fees.do