Please Login to view "member only" content

 

A View from Students on the March

 

On Wednesday 10 November, 280 students and staff from Staffordshire University joined colleagues from Universities around the country in taking to government the message that the proposed cuts to higher education will fundamentally destroy accessible, quality education for future students.

You can follow live updates on Twitter on the #demo2010 hashtag


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students and the higher education sector face a dark period ahead. With the Browne Report on the future of university fees imminent and the government expected to announce further funding cuts to universities, is there any hope for higher education?

In 2004 fees were controversially introduced at £1,000 a year and the arguments presented at the time were that this was the thin edge of a wedge that would see the future of Higher Education marketised, with degrees a commodity being sold. Two years later, a tiny majority of just five votes in the House of Commons saw the government raise the fees to £3,000, with further rises every year based on inflation. In the present day, this means student tuition fees stand at £3,290 per year. A student who graduates in 2011 after a three year degree could have debts nearing £10,000 through tuition fees alone. And none of these changes have resulted in a better experience for students, with satisfaction levels falling rather than improving as degree pricing increases.
 

The Browne report recommends that the student contribution for higher education to have no upper limit but any university charging over £6,000 per year will have to pay a levy back to the government, the general message from Lord Browne is that students are just a drain on government finances. Looking at this change of magnitude is going to make the UK the most expensive country to learn in, according to the Universities and Colleges Union.

 

As President of Staffordshire University Students’ Union and a mature student, I find it impossible to believe that our government is prepared to abandon a whole generation from higher education. Thousands of students could reconsider their entry into higher education if the government adopts a higher fees stance, dashing their great potential. No matter how you wrap it up, progressing education through to degree level will leave you with a financial liability hanging over you for up to 30 years.

 

Many young people from poorer backgrounds who have aspirations and the ability to attend university will be priced out of higher education therefore the long-term effects on industry could be huge. Putting up barriers to higher education could prevent some of our greatest minds harnessing their abilities, when this is exactly the time we need all the home-grown talent we can get. 

 

The younger generation, rich or poor, must have equal opportunity to access higher education. This can only happen if the price of university is fair and access is open to all and not the privileged few.

 

Cutting funds for higher education institutions will also have adverse effects on the towns and cities that house them. There will be further redundancies, more housing will become unused and derelict, and student communities will lose that diverse vibrancy that makes them so vital. 

 

Drastic unrealistic cuts to the higher education sector will draw this country down a dark road. We need to let this government know enough is enough. Students from across the country are gathering on 10 November in London to make themselves heard. We are going to march, we are going to shout and we will be heard across our nation.

 
Fiona Wood President, Staffordshire University Students Union
.

 

Please log in to view comments.

 

Smartphone App

Get the student experience on your phone. Staffordshire University Students' Union presents a handheld guide to your hottest news, photos, videos and events. You'll also find details for a range of clubs and societies you might enjoy.


App Store

Android Market

We Tweet

    Social Media

    Facebook Twitter YouTube

    Your Opinions Count!

    If you have any comments, suggestions, requests or feedback, please visit:

    www.staffsunion.com/feedback