The Browne Review report

[nmg]

Too depressing for words. If I can muster the energy, I'll write a longer commentary later this week. For the time being, let me echo the words of Sally Hunt: "Lord Browne's recommendations, if enacted, represent the final nail in the coffin for affordable higher education."

Comments

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

You know, the contrast between my university experience twenty years ago and today is so vast. There seems to be little or no flexbility for committed students to submit their work if they cannot do so in person. Having said that, some of the students seem to come into lectures extremely late and just seem to walk in and out as they please. It makes me wonder if we haven't pushed too many people into the University route who may not be best suited to it. This makes me wonder how much time and money have been spent trying to create courses and attract people who may be better served by something more vocational.

[unwholesome-fen.livejournal.com]

Julian Huppert will certainly lose his Cambridge seat if he votes for anything like that. (Anne Campbell lost Cambridge for abstaining instead of voting against fees under Labour.) Can the Lib Dems really stomach this?

[perdita-fysh.livejournal.com]

What is the answer ooi? I've read the stuff now and to my (uninvolved) view it seems like a not unreasonable way of going about things, although obviously with some risks. I can't see poor students fancying prestige degrees for example.

But I would be interested to know what you guys would like to see happen to fix things?

[perdita-fysh.livejournal.com]

I didn't think this was a cost-cutting exercise, the proposals won't cost the government any less but they won't cost them any more and I think eventually they will see more of it back than they do now (but without the increase in interest rates that won't be much either).

Is it rather then that the preferred approach would be to spend more on universities? Because that's a bit, well.. simplistic? And surely that's just what every area (NHS, schools etc) would like too.

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

The only upsides I can see are:

1. It finally extends the funding arrangements to cover part time students too.
2. Charging higher fees to students is marginally preferable to Universities just having less money.

But, yeah, basically, it's rotten to its black heart.

[jorune.livejournal.com]

UK Deficit reduction tour 2010-2015 : It's a big shit sandwich and we're all gonna have to take a bite.

The task for any future govt is to deal with the consequences of this crash diet. It will mean that there is a generation of taxpayers whose consumption is limited and this will have knock on effects in terms demand for houses, consumer spending, etc. The nature of unintended consequences means that we are entering unexplored territory.