Student Protest

[Hartley Hare]

Thanks for the link Hartley - can't see my daughter catching a bus at half seven in the morning.

I think it will be Joseph Wrights she'll go to, she doesn't want to go to a sixth form, she wants to get out of the school environment.

My daughter had the same feeling. She's visited a few sixth forms, which looked ok to me, but she said they felt like school so that was that. Fair enough, I'm glad she has the ability to choose. For us, it was South East Derbyshire College or nothing. Unless you moved house, of course.

My lad catches his bus to Bilborough at 8:05 (it was 8:15 last year but they've changed the route...) and gets home just before 5 usually. At least it gets them used to a longer day, ready for when they have a job. Or maybe that should be "if they have a job".....

[Perky1106]

Hartley you're totally right about the people being stuck in the middle struggling the most.

For most of us, our parent's financial status qualifies us for the minimum maintenance loan, which is £1100 pounds for every term. But some people can qualify for a grant of up to £1000 for each term, this is totally free.

Those left without a grant or large savings/parental help are going to have less money than the poor and the rich.

The government assumes that the people in the middle have parents who can afford to fork out for huge costs to help their children through University. Often this is not the case and the whole funding system needs a rethink before fees are raised. Some people shouldn't be getting £3,000 a year of free money when others are struggling to make ends meet due to their parents income.

The tuition fee ballpark figure of £9,000 is near to the full cost of tution fees. The government subsidise 60% of the fee but now they cannot afford to subsidise any of it.

The time at which I pay off my £20,000 worth of debt can only be an estimation at this stage. I could only end up with a lower paid job which means I pay it off slower. But some future graduates could graduate into a high flying industry where they pay off their loan quicker than I manage to, even though their tution fees will be two or threefold!

Either way, whatever our debt we are going to up to our necks in income tax as well when we earn over £21,000 per year. The whole system of University will change. £6,000 + p/y will put off students from going to University for the sake of it, like a lot of my age group has done and University graduates will all graduate with what is a better and more meaningful qualification. It is unfortunate that the year we are born will define how much we pay but I think it will balance out when University goes back to what it should be, a place for those who are academic and eager to learn to get the most out of. When the number of people going to University is cut, a degree will mean far more and will pay back far more for those who really deserve it.

[Phoenix]

There was a bloke on University Challenge the other week reading for a masters in Climate Change and Poetry.

Wonder how long it'll take him to pay his debt off?

[Hartley Hare]

Anything related to the environment or energy is going to be in demand for the next 30 - 50 years I reckon.

Remember where you heard it first....

[Boycie]

Hope so;)

[Hartley Hare]

Joe, the uni's can only go back to that once HE ceases to be seen as the alternative to going on the dole or taking a dross job. And in order for that to happen there have to be jobs for people to go into instead of HE. That's the reason that uni's started taking more students in and offereing Mickey Mouse degree's in the first place. So there's lots of reform to come before anything remotely level appears. And of course we'll have General Elections during that time, changes of Government, shifts in ideologies and policies, nothing ever gets finished, just started then stopped then replaced with some other half-finished scheme....

I didn't go to uni, in fact I dropped out of FE college before I'd finished my second year. In retrospect I wish I had stuck it through and continued my studies, but it was the right decision at the time under the circumstances, so no regrets really. But I still make a decent living for myself and my family and I've never, ever been out of work and I'm not aware that my lack of a degree has ever held me back. I suspect that that's not the case any longer, and that for any kind of decent paying career (unless you're going to work for yourself) you've got to have that piece of paper and your photo wearing the mortar board. Because so many kids to go uni now, employers see it as standard and wonder why young people didn't go on to HE. And if funding is a barrier to potential students today, then there'll be a whole generation of very capable young people potentially excluded from HE and the learning, development and earning opportunites it offers. I don't see that as a progressive measure at all. We'll just end up having poorer families swapping places with middle income families - while the top earners are left alone.

P.S. The cynic in me is inclined to think that the results of the funding review have been specifically timed to be published in the Autumn. If it were Spring or Summer then we'd see more protests and demonstrations, but the inclement seasonal weather will keep most people at bay....

[derbydan]

feckin students gerra job

[kincardine]

wouldnt blame the studants in this was they clowns from the uaf

[Perky1106]

wouldnt blame the studants in this was they clowns from the uaf

Professional protest hooligans started it, people who already have convictions for abusing right to protest etc.

Though a small number of students decided to join in. The president for the University of London was involved as well. She was on Newsnight. What a horrible woman she was.

[MorecambeRam]

I graduated from the University Of Life

[Leeds Ram]

youngram - my daughter leaves school this time - she mentioned bilborough - but isn't that in snottingham - how the heck do you get there?

It's looking like Joseph Wrights at the moment.

I take a bus, they have a pretty good bus route, the university fees are going to rise and they are regressive, Poor people pay more because of the interest on the debt and if you go to uni you want a job that pays more than 21 k tbh, if you have a 30 k job they take a decent chunk out. My party isn't registered but i have a few ideas, i would change the education system, scrap all sats tests because they put unnecersary pressure on youngsters and replace the g.c.s.e with somthing called A.L.Q which i have invented. I am writing up my manifesto for the next election at the moment and will post it up if you like when i have finished. I need all the help i can get so please constructive criticism would be good.

[Leeds Ram]

What subjects are you taking at Bilborough, young ram?

I am taking philosophy, governemnt and politics, economic and sociology

[Hartley Hare]

I am taking philosophy, governemnt and politics, economic and sociology

And what do you intend to pursue as a career when you've completed your formal education? I mean, aside from becoming the leader of the free world?

[Leeds Ram]

i want to become a barrister if possible, of course i will be leader of the free world though

[derbydan]

here we go another bent politician

[Sir Me]

young ram - So you basically want to completely reinvent the education system?

I take it that you have had enough of homework, class work and exams?

It's not like in the 'work' world you have 'homework', office work and promotions...

It's easy to say that I'll do this and I'll do that, but when you look at the logistics of actualy scrapping (for example) exams you will see that they are there for a reason. What if a student doesn't do to well in their GCSE's and fails them completely, at least then they can fall back on their SATS.

Going back to your invented qualification, ALQ.

Have you ever heard of the Adult Leadership Qualification?

[Kris Marina]

I take a bus, they have a pretty good bus route, the university fees are going to rise and they are regressive, Poor people pay more because of the interest on the debt and if you go to uni you want a job that pays more than 21 k tbh, if you have a 30 k job they take a decent chunk out. My party isn't registered but i have a few ideas, i would change the education system, scrap all sats tests because they put unnecersary pressure on youngsters and replace the g.c.s.e with somthing called A.L.Q which i have invented. I am writing up my manifesto for the next election at the moment and will post it up if you like when i have finished. I need all the help i can get so please constructive criticism would be good.

Not being funny, but the chances of gettng into power when you can't spell are pretty slim.

[froggg]

Not being funny, but the chances of gettng into power when you can't spell are pretty slim.

dunno Kris cause lets face it yer average MP can't add up:D:eek::mad:

[trigger]

here we go another bent politician

classic dan!:D

[Boycie]

here we go another bent politician

Bowling dan, are you starting against the convicts?