Novocastrian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...versities-cuts

Who needs all those Universities anyway?

Mistress Miggins

It's really quite shocking isn't it. The thing is, they are saying that they are raising the standards now for Uni admissions also, which obviously means that the higher kids grades, the better their chances are for places. From here one would be correct in concluding that those from less affluent backgrounds and of lower socioeconomic standards will indeed have increased callenges in trying to get uni places. It's known that not only are these young peoples schools often of poorer standards, due to being inner cities and suchlike, but that their supports to try and negotiate the more complicated application procedures, as they will be now, will be lacking too.

It's a crying shame that their is such a return to the dark old days of my youth as far post compulsory education is concerned. It makes me happy not to be there when I read that.

Mrs M x

Alberta_Rose

I'm not sure I understand your argument. I am just wondering how you would select students for courses where there is competition for places. Why would it be fairer to select a student with lower academic achievement over another with good grades, simply because that student comes from a wealthier background?

I do agree that there should be a number of places offered with bursaries/scholarships for those students who are disadvantaged in that way, but they still have to show the academic potential.... ? I see one of the uni's is cutting those resources ... now there is something to be up in arms about!

MarkG

Given the number of graduates working in call centers or flipping burgers, I really doubt that Britain needs anywhere near as many universities as it has.

The government's whole concept of sending 50% of kids is silly when there are nowhere near enough jobs for those people... but it's a great way to reduce youth unemployment figures at little cost.

Yelkcub

I totally agree with your post but as the students take out student loans, its not quite true to say it is at little cost - it is at quite a cost to the student who will have a large debt when they qualify with a degree but (currently) little chance of getting a decent job.

T-Pot

I had to wait until I am in my mid-30's (well maybe upper-mid) to do a degree and even then I can only do it as it's being paid for by my employer.

I would have loved to do the whole 'uni' thing but it is way beyond my means.

SirTainly

Not a cost to the government though.

MarkG

Exactly: the government are effectively getting the kids to borrow their own unemployment benefit while they spend four years on a Lesbian Media Studies course.

Oakvillian

Sad. Very sad. But shocking? No, not any longer. No more than we have come to expect, really.

"Here, have a bunch of targets to increase access, offer more places to more people from more backgrounds, make the government look good when we publish figures on numbers of students in higher education. Then when it's clear we're not going to win the election and we want to crap everything up for the next lot, we'll take a bunch of money away so next year's statistics will show a headline of falling admissions numbers, fewer students from disadvantaged backgrounds, etc etc."

The most telling comment in the whole thing (particulary in relation to last week's higher education thread) is that nobody seems to disagree that the majority of losses will be in academic staffing. No thought to cutting 5% from the administration instead, then? Oh no, thought not.

Mistress Miggins

I wasn't arguing, I was simply stating that as usual the poorer kids will come off worse as always. I work in a college and have been a life long student, so I see exactly the point of this. I also see that if there are less uni places, a higher bench mark to get in, then less kids will get in. Simple equation and very sad seeing as the UK was supposed to be working toward a classless society under New Labour. Education is empowerment, keep the "underclass" ignorant and the chances of an uprising and real political enlightenment is gone. May sound a little George Orwell, but still, a simple and age old concept.

Novocastrian

On the contrary, it will obviously be necessary to expand the administrative arm to be able to cope with penury.

R I C H

Perhaps the erosion of funding for campus based education shouldn't be a surprise, or necessarily a wholly negative issue. The current economy is a major influence, but online/distance learning is experiencing very healthy growth (see here for a recent article).

Where I work, we've seen 5 years of year on year growth, and will achieve close to a 30% increase in enrollment for '09/'10. A good proportion of the growth is fueled by campus students wanting more flexible (and sometimes less expensive) options. Putting $ into this sort of delivery makes a great deal of sense - infrastructure and overheads are considerably lower.

MarkG

My question is why you think it matters? Britain is now a nation with too many Media Studies graduates and too few plumbers, where thanks to qualinflation jobs which used to require A-levels now require bachelor degrees and jobs which used to require bachelor degrees now require masters or PhDs... and the kids who skipped the whole thing to train as plumbers or car mechanics are making more money than their friends who have a first in Tarantino Studies from Llandudno University, without the huge debts.

To me it seems odd that so many on the left claim to support the working class, yet they look down on any job which requires manual work, even if it's better paid than the average graduate job. If a kid isn't interested in academia, what's so wrong with getting a real job instead? None of my close relatives have degrees, but they seem to have done OK for themselves.

dbd33

How many media studies graduates are there? How many is enough?

MarkG

Couldn't tell you for sure, but I knew several in the UK and most were working in call centres or restaurants because the media world couldn't care less about their degree.