Bit of a hoo-haa down in london

[Rich Pullen]

Perhaps we should re-focus and re-direct the protestors in to finding the secret lair of the Bullingdon Club? Lynch them now, save our future 

[Simon Pieman]

But didn't it used to be £14k?

It's not the point. Who leaves university wanting to earn less than 21k? Then you end up paying more when you do earn that.

If Cameron had said to the country he was raising taxes but not until you earn 21k everyone would be moaning.

[Rich Pullen]

It's not the point. Who leaves university wanting to earn less than 21k? Then you end up paying more when you do earn that.

If Cameron had said to the country he was raising taxes but not until you earn 21k everyone would be moaning.

Agreed. Sadly I know many people that currently are more than happy to remain under the 21k wage.

[luckyluke699]

It's not the point. Who leaves university wanting to earn less than 21k? Then you end up paying more when you do earn that.

If Cameron had said to the country he was raising taxes but not until you earn 21k everyone would be moaning.

Less people earn over 21k than you would initially anticipate. According to the ONS this year, the median ("exact middle" earnings are as follows...
Men:     27976
Women: 22828

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_in_the_United_Kingdom
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=285

[reeves4england]

No one should be made to feel excluded from education by prohibitively high costs.

If only the Government had considered alternative ways to fund education, like a more progressive taxation system.

For example, a business education tax levied on the top 4% of UK companies, as proposed by the University and Colleges Union, would require business to pay its fair share for the substantial benefits it receives from higher education.

Raising corporation tax to the G7 average would generate enough annually to abolish tuition fees, and increase UK investment in higher education to the average for other comparable countries, while leaving 96% of companies in the UK unaffected by the change, and still leaving the UK's main corporation tax below that of France, Japan and the US.

Unfortunately, such alternatives remain unexplored.

Good point Mex. The whole debate has been centred on "do students pay or does the government pay?" Too many people seem to think the individual graduate is the only person to benefit from their education. If people think big companies don't benefit from scientists, financial analysts, actuaries etc, and that the wider society doesn't benefit from people graduating as lawyers and (dare I say it) economists, then they are incredibly blinkered.

[Phil_S]

The thing is that when my generation had free higher education quite a small % actually went to university. Most people left school & got a job or an apprenticeship. I still don't undersatnd why we need to have 50% going on to university, particularly for degrees in meaningless subjects . What we need are more apprenticeships to give the young an opportunity to learn a trade.

On the funding issue, why should someone who goes to work have to pay taxes to fund someone who goes to uni to study. There is no such thing as free education & there never was. We all pay taxes, & this is just if you like an education income tax. Those who go to uni are either going to earn a lot more in the future as a result. why the hell shouldn't they pay for it. Why should a plumber be descriminated against because he wasn't able to or didn't want to become doctor. The big question for me is who benefits from a higher education. First & foremost it is the student, therefore they should pay for it. Second the country, which is why a scheme such as the one we have is put in place.

To me the fairest way would be to abolish all funding for higher education & give an education credit to all school leavers. This would be able to be used to help fund further education or an epprenticeship (hopefully encoraging more) & would be available on a long term basis for those who didn't use it immediately.
I think the point that many miss is that the "debt" is not like most loans. You don't pay nothing if you earn less than the 21k, & after a while I understand it is written off any way.

Finally on the politics of it all, in my view the Labour party are the worst offenders of the lot. They introduced the sceme in the first place, a surprising non socialist type policy. They then left this country broke, which came to a head because they had to bail out the banks. Even then they still carried on increasing spending (the recently announced cuts deep as they are, are only reducing the spending levels of the goverment to 2008 levels).

Finally, given that everybody I guess would want a better funded higher education system who if not the major beneficiaries would you have pay for it. ?
The common answer is the banks & fat cats but that is easy in theory but not in practise. Aren't some of todays graduates some of tomorrows fat cats any way ?

The 4% tax on the biggest companies is a good idea, but haven't we got enough companies moving else where as it is ?

[Foggy]

Bunch of tossers.

Good morning Mr Pot, You are looking black says Mr Kettle

[pauld]

Perhaps we should re-focus and re-direct the protestors in to finding the secret lair of the Bullingdon Club? Lynch them now, save our future  

Are we in charge of them? Ace. I can see the Daily Mail headlines now "Sinister football forum masterminded student riots" with a 4-page expose of Si Pie, Whits and fB. Dazzza will escape unexposed as like all the best evil geniuses, he lets his boiler suited henchmen take the flak while he escapes in a helicopter.

[Cookie]

Good morning Mr Pot, You are looking black says Mr Kettle

Woaahh, don't call him black, he'll kick off again.

[glos_robin]

I was a student up until until 4 years ago and racked up some debt ~£13k, but 4 years later my student loan is pretty much gone and tbh it aint exactly been a burden to me as it was just an extra tax and as I never had it I never missed it. Once I have paid it back it'll feel like a pay rise .......
I went to Uni and had fun but I worked hard and have got my rewards from doing that, if it wasn't for all the freeloaders who just want to go there for the drink & sex there would be more money available for the people who actually have some ambition in life and aren't just going to avoid working for a few more years.

I don't mind a peaceful protest but the people who caused the trouble should be fucking embarrassed especially the ones who attacked the Royal's car as this will be all over the world today and is just gonna drag the image of this country further through the mud. Fuck it raise fee's even further now to pay for all the damage they have caused.

Hopefully these fees will stop the time wasters from going now and will eventually mean there is more money for students in few years, it's just unfortunate for the genuine students at this moment in time.

[pauld]

I'm with steptoe41, let's crack a few students' skulls.

There you go:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11967098

[Reg Smeeton]

I went to Uni and had fun but I worked hard and have got my rewards from doing that, if it wasn't for all the freeloaders who just want to go there for the drink & sex there would be more money available for the people who actually have some ambition in life and aren't just going to avoid working for a few more years.

You've left out the drugs....or don't students do that anymore?  There's more to life than job...job...retire... die.

Being young...ie <90 should be about having a good time....

[Rich Pullen]

Are we in charge of them? Ace. I can see the Daily Mail headlines now "Sinister football forum masterminded student riots" with a 4-page expose of Si Pie, Whits and fB. Dazzza will escape unexposed as like all the best evil geniuses, he lets his boiler suited henchmen take the flak while he escapes in a helicopter.

Sounds a like plan to me. First thing I've understood within this whole thread.

Regards,

Rich Pullen BA (Hons)

[pauld]

Rich Pullen BA (Hons)

Fucking hooligan

[Rich Pullen]

Fucking hooligan

Graduation on Union Street was fun.

[url width=460 height=276]http://www.boxofficefootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/football-hooligans.jpg[/url]