Universities' annual funding reduced by £533m

robin_banks

tbh this can't have come as much of a surprise.

kabayiri

julieq wrote: »

One other point, see how slickly this was announced on the busiest shopping day before Christmas when no-one is paying attention. Mandy never disappoints.

Very true.

We are going to need a lot more distraction days in the coming weeks and months I expect.

When is the final of Celeb Big Brother? I'd suggest they release planned cuts to libraries or free bus services then.

baby_boomer

Is this to avoid putting up student fees.

Or will that happen as well?

olly300

baby_boomer wrote: »

Is this to avoid putting up student fees.

Or will that happen as well?

Student fees will go up.

But they will wait until after the General Election before they announce this.

Graham_Devon

Theres also 10,000 places to be axed.

And something about reversing the places they put in to allow people to carry on in education rather than trying to find a job in this climate.

vivatifosi

lostinrates wrote: »

Some degree courses have HND students sitting in, and the two year completion (same courses different assignments...dare I say..less academic?) then they can sit the same final year and a year of WE and get a degree. This happened on my course, and it SERIOUSLY devalued the course.

DH said the same. A two year degree is not a degree, its an HND. Which, for those that have forgotten, stands for Has No Degree...

vivatifosi

One of the things that hasn't been mentioned so far is that there's actually been quite a big capital spend on universities in recent years, in a concerted attempt to bring up to date the estate - similar to Building Schools to the Future, but more devolved. I wouldn't be surprised to see that cut back heavily.

PasturesNew

I think it's nuts that A level students have to think about which Uni to go to, then visit them (if they can), then the Unis to spend time entertaining all these window shoppers, before issuing "maybe, if you get ...." letters to them.

It'd be better if there were a "forced gap year". So you concentrated on doing your A levels, THEN got your results - the next year you could either doss about, work to save towards your first year's expenses, or go travelling if you're wealthy ... but also in that year, knowing the results you HAVE got, you can do retakes, and/or apply to actual Universities that you are really interested in, visit them without screwing up your homework/stress levels and finally be offered an actual place by the Uni because your results are known.

It'd also make those who were unsure decide if Uni was right for them - and which course/Uni would be best, ensuring less drop-outs.

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

It'd be better if there were a "forced gap year". So you concentrated on doing your A levels, THEN got your results - the next year you could either doss about, work to save towards your first year's expenses, or go travelling if you're wealthy ...

All my Aussie rels do this and go walkabout, it makes a great deal of sense and more than one of them have decided to study something totally different to planned as a result.

lostinrates

Pastures, thats when I think most people would be able to give something back: a modern form of national service.....not necessarily the forces, but perhaps as school staff support, auxilaries in hospitals, filing in local council offices, helping maintain local parks........a plethora of things that could be relevant to areas of future employment interest. By the time we hit 18, most of us have cost the country a bit in education, or health care, even Child benefit. I think all of this is very vital investment in the future, but we start receiving and not giving back from the beginning of adult life....