Graduate Tax

[pink_triangle]

Have you ever done a degree ?? It is a five day a week commitment...

[oafc0000]

I think you misinterpreted my point, or probably I didnt explain it well enough. I have nothing against degrees which are a full time commitment. Im sure we have all been in halls and seen people on courses who are only required to go in for a few hours a week. Its these courses that I think should be streamlined to 2 years, or as you say got rid of completely if they arent going to result in jobs.

[Ed209]

These are no doubt the degrees we are all complaining about. The breed of degree which has seem to sprung up to accommodate the stupid 50% going to University and the Unis stacking the campuses with students to get their money. The ConDem seem to want to make all degrees two years which is just stupid. I couldn't of learnt as much in two as I could of in three. What little time I have spare to work to fund being at Uni couldn't of happened and I probably wouldn't of been able to afford to go.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I assume there'll be some kind of cut-off point. Anyone in uni up until a certain year sticks to the current system, and then the Graduate Tax kicks in after that?

[harper11]

given uni runs for 24 week a year i think many degrees could be two years

some degrees could be three weeks for all theyre worth

[OneLittleFish]

As previously said before, this will hammer those who are intelligent enough to go to University which is an expensive enough business as it is.

I budgeted very, very carefully and am only in £2,000 debt, but even then when you combined my studies and weekend only work I was going for three to four months at a time without a day off.

Once the Tories get their hands fully on University, I know there's no way in hell I would have ever been able to afford my education.

[RABun]

What are the useless degree's that don't result in jobs?

I only ask because master bun wants to go to Uni to study media, not because he wants to get a throw away degree but because he is actually rather talented in the film-making/photography/editing area. A producer friend of ours said he would only be a ble to get work within this area if he has a degree.

I know that media studies has been derided in the past, probably for good reason. I know of one friend who went to uni to do media and failed to get the degree but i think he spent his time getting stoned and playing computer games. He only did media i think because he thought it would be easy.

[pink_triangle]

My friend did drama and in her class only 1 person is doing anything drama related. The rest are mainly working in shops. To me that shows her course was a waste of a degree, maybe other drama courses in different unis are different.

[oafc0000]

My friend did drama and in her class only 1 person is doing anything drama related. The rest are mainly working in shops. To me that shows her course was a waste of a degree, maybe other drama courses in different unis are different.

[lolbeck]

What are the useless degree's that don't result in jobs?

I only ask because master bun wants to go to Uni to study media, not because he wants to get a throw away degree but because he is actually rather talented in the film-making/photography/editing area. A producer friend of ours said he would only be a ble to get work within this area if he has a degree.

I know that media studies has been derided in the past, probably for good reason. I know of one friend who went to uni to do media and failed to get the degree but i think he spent his time getting stoned and playing computer games. He only did media i think because he thought it would be easy.

[RABun]

Thanks Lolbeck actually thats great advice - he's only just starting his A-levels in September but he had already though about bournemouth. I was going to start looking into recommended unis for film making etc.

[MrZigster]

One of Tony Blairs biggest mistakes. Educated for free in the finest educational establishments England had to offer, and then pulled the ladder up on the generation behind him. Disgraceful. No idea how he got away with that one.

[Ed209]

Thanks Lolbeck actually thats great advice - he's only just starting his A-levels in September but he had already though about bournemouth. I was going to start looking into recommended unis for film making etc.

[smog]

I know that media studies has been derided in the past....

[oafc0000]

+1

For me, it was also the first New Labour broken election promise I remember. I was intermitting at the time because of cash flow, couldn't really afford to go back because of cash flow, and then that git introduces tuition fees as well and I'm supposed to find more cash flow, when my debt was already scaring me shitless.

Bastard.

[MrZigster]

I think people should remember that the Torys underfunded University's massively... As they did with every public service in the country...

I think Labour prioritised the NHS and Primary / Secondary Education... Its easy to forget the state Thatcher and her mates left the country in and the problems facing New Labour when they came to power.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Oh, I totally agree. I was there.

It was under the tories (John Major possibly) that thousands of people like me over a certain age and without A levels, were encouraged to go back to school through foundation years, where you could qualify for a uni place in just a year. It was a good sell to me at the time. I could get an education top up, still sign on for a year without being hassled to find work (of which there wasn't much of any quality) and, if I remember rightly, you got an extra tenner for every week you were there (30 weeks) plus travel.

A cynical outlook I know, but it took all of us off the dole queue figures it did.

Though lots of able people took full advantage of this route, it was also, possibly, the start of people who maybe shouldnt have been going to university, going to university. They had a large dropout rate.

It was certainly the start of going into thousands of pounds of debt to be educated to the best of your ability.

But Bliar certainly didn't make the students lot any better.

TBH, I left school at 16 under Thatcher, and even then, the people my age who went on to uni basically didn't have to worry too much about money and certainly not debt. They were even allowed to sign on during the holidays if they weren't working if I recall correctly.

[oafc0000]

But Bliar certainly didn't make the students lot any better.

[MrZigster]

Is that true though ?

I started at uni in 1998 and left in 2002... During that time the place was done up nicely and since leaving it looks totally different. Much improved... It seems to me funding did go up under Labour.

Granted, the overall cost seems to have gone up as well...

Edited July 16, 2010 by MrZigster

[oafc0000]

Funded by the individual, rather than society. (Edit: Well, on tick from society I suppose).

[llcoolphil]

But of course, being the standard tory boys, it also has the advantage of making Uni something that's essentially only available to the children of tory boys, or if not, to people who will become tory voters. They can't have the oiks getting on and competing with the tory boys - they like the free market, but only when it allows them to stitch-up the oiks, it's not meant to work against them, oh no.

[llcoolphil]

The cause of the problem (deficit wise) is that any old tom dick or harry can go to uni these days. I'm not saying it should only be the wealthy - I'm saying it should only be the most gifted. Otherwise the whole "I've got a degree" claim loses its value IMHO.

[llcoolphil]

I think people should remember that the Torys underfunded University's massively... As they did with every public service in the country...

I think Labour prioritised the NHS and Primary / Secondary Education... Its easy to forget the state Thatcher and her mates left the country in and the problems facing New Labour when they came to power.

[MrZigster]

You think the tuition fee covers the tuition of a student ? It doesn't...

Edited July 17, 2010 by MrZigster

[oafc0000]

Given that primary and secondary education are administered locally, remind me again why you voted Tory at the local elections this year.