| I Propose the Abolition of University Tuition Fees |
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| Not every young person wants to go to university. But I fully understand the concerns about the levels of debt in which those who do find themselves. |
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| The current Government is now proposing that students pay annual tuition fees of up to £3,000 a year. I believe that tuition fees - a ‘tax on learning’ - have not only let down hard working families who want their children to get on and left young people with huge debts. They have also tied up our universities in red tape. Furthermore, the policy has discouraged more non-traditional students from entering Higher Education, especially, for example, those with young children. A flourishing Higher Education sector for students of all ages depends on independence from central Government and meaningful degrees, not Department of Education targets. |
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| My party has promised to scrap university tuition fees. This policy would save students and families up to £3000 a year. We are also pledging to:- |
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| • Reduce political interference in universities by scrapping the Government’s Access Regulator (Office for Fair Access); and |
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| • scrap the Government’s 50% target for university entrance, which forces too many young people on to unsuitable courses when they may benefit more from much better quality vocational qualifications of the kind provided so successfully in, for example, Germany. |
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| The university sector should be better focused and open to all who deserve to be there. We need a fair deal for students and universities. We need an education system which offers every child, from every background, the chance to make the most of their potential. |
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