Letter: High price for students to pay

Letter: High price for students to pay

Sir: Deciding how to solve the funding crisis in higher education will indeed be "the most difficult policy decision on education faced by the Government", as you report (17 July). It is, however, plainly ridiculous to suggest that this can be done in an equitable way by making students pay upwards of pounds 1,000 for their tuition.

Introducing tuition fees and abolishing maintenance grants, an option also said to be included in the Dearing report, would undoubtedly deter those from less privileged backgrounds from going on to higher education. It would ensure that many students finished university with debts of pounds 20,000 plus.

The Government must address the fact that Britain has significantly lower rates of participation in higher education than, for example, France and Germany and has the lowest level of government expenditure on higher education as a percentage of GDP of any country in Europe.

The only solution that will guarantee access to education is for government spending to be increased in line with the increase in student numbers. That might require progressive taxation and a thorough review of government spending priorities. But it would maintain Labour's contract with millions of present and would-be students and their families who were told Labour opposed fees before the general election.

MARK TWEEDALE

President Elect, Bradford College

ADAM MATTHEWS

President, Sheffield University Students' Union

LIZ HUTCHINS

Women's Officer, Sheffield University Students' Union

SOPHIE BOLT

Academic and Welfare Officer, Goldsmiths' College Student Union

DES MINTON

President, Bradford College

PAUL CORNELL

Education and Welfare Officer, University of East London

EMMA NEVILLE

Welfare Officer Elect, Bangor University

RAJ JETHWA

Dearing Watch