Re: Tuition increase song needed

Hugh Allen wrote:

> As a net tax payer I am quite happy to support those students who have
> ability and wish to study a subject that will enhance the cultural or
> scientific lives of following generations.  I would like to see
> university education limited to the most academic10% of the population
> whatever their background free of charge.


Couldn't agree more in principle, but I've seen the result of allowing 
our son (who is as unacademic as I am, and unsuitable to taking exams) 
to forget about uni etc. I had loads of jobs open, so did my wife; we 
both either turned down or abandoned university in the late 60s. She 
could walk straight into civil service, clerical or scientific work at 
that time; with A-levels I could have been taken on as a management 
level trainee in any large manufacturing company, and if I didn't have 
the quals they wanted, then day release or block release and three to 
seven year indenture term would do it. I went for four years of 
indenture as a reporter, one year full time at college, while most at 
that time did block release.

Looking in our local paper, there isn't a single job worth doing which 
does not demand a degree. I would not be qualified to do any of the jobs 
paying half what I've always earned. My wife did get herself an MSc 
later in life, but oddly enough, despite being a scientific one it is 
almost useless for employment - all the jobs are for people with social, 
life sciences, administrative, accounting or similar quals.

Our daughter's doing psychology and despite comments that this is now 
the most over-subscribed subject in the country, and no-one needs any 
more psychologists, guess what sort of degree is the most commonly 
needed in our local paper - either that, or sociology. Ageing 
population, care-based community, loads of nutters on the prowl - they 
need someone to deal with 'em!

Being in Scotland, we have the benefit of the Scottish Office paying all 
but £158 a year of her Anglia Poly-Uni tuition fees. In England I 
wouldn't get a penny (and would not have when grants were available 
either). There is a myth that Scottish students can't study in England 
and get the same benefit of fees paid which they get in Scottish unis. 
This is not true, both she and her boyfriend have been able to claim the 
tuition. I got it wrong last year, failed to fill in my income because I 
thought I had no chance - thought it was means tested. It is not. 
Scotland applies the same benefits to net tax payers as to net tax 
spenders in this respect.

David