|
Sarah Newton – letter to the editor
Dear Sir/Madam,
I received the General Election edition of the Lib Dem ‘Cornish Voice’ this week. They are still telling people they will scrap tuition fees, but their party leadership’s position is clear – they cannot afford to scrap tuition fees and are not pledging to do so during the five years of the new Parliament.
While thousands of family’s of teenage children and their teachers across Cornwall are thinking about their futures beyond school and considering higher education applications, they need clarity from each political party as to what they are proposing to do about tuition fees and finance for students from September 2010.
Given the dire state of the public finances, we have to be honest about the fact that a full state subsidy is simply not an option. But we also have to do all we can to ensure that no one who could gain from university is put off by the prospect of debt, and that those who cannot afford to pay are given as much help as possible.
We support the principle that those who benefit from higher education should meet some of the cost of their degree. Before proposing any changes to the current system it is vital that we understand what impact top-up fees have had since they were introduced, and how exactly the current system is failing. An independent review, with cross-party support, is the right way to address this critical national issue and I am pleased the Government finally agreed to this in November 2009. The Lib Dems have turned their backs on this review.
I believe education is a powerful driver of social mobility and economic growth, and anyone who wants to go to university and has the necessary ability should be given the opportunity to do so. That is why we have committed to deliver 10,000 funded extra university places in 2010.
But we also recognise that many young people don’t want to go to university, and that in many careers you do not need a degree to succeed. Our plans to create new apprenticeships and training places will help 100,000 young people gain real work experience at the same time as earning qualifications. These proposals are fully costed by diverting funds from existing budgets.
Sarah Newton
ENDS
For more information, please telephone Sarah Newton on 07811 943164
18th January 2010
   
| 
