Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
26 November 2010
12:0181743agreed Howard
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
26 November 2010
13:3581745Seconded.
But the brighter students from more 'humble' backgrounds will be discouraged, with more desirable universities being out of 'their price range'. Even writing that last sentence hurt.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
26 November 2010
15:5181753But the repayment terms are better for them than before.
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
26 November 2010
17:0281760Hardly the point.
Going back to my Aston Martin analogy, if the salesman offered me 0% APR I still couldn't afford it.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
26 November 2010
17:2281766But you dont even start repaying it unless you earn £21000 (up from Labour's £15000) Then the more you earn the more you pay.
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
26 November 2010
18:0781776You think that will make a difference to those whose parents pay the fees outright in the first place?
I'm talking about the fact that if you have money, you can still go and study a 'pointless' degree, but if you don't have the money you are directly affected by this decision, even if you wish to study 'something useful'.
Education is still used as a way of keeping people in their place, or class (although I know you don't believe in that term). Social elitism and status dictate places but now we also have to include financial background into the equation. A good example being Trinity college, Cambridge taking on prince Charles with two 'old' A-levels at 'B' and 'C' grade. It is laughable and talk about doing a degree for the sake of it.
People with money will be able to get the best while those who are able, but not as well off, have reduced choice. If you fail to see class division, this is it in a nutshell. Meritocracy is an illusion peddled by the Conservative party and just a way to make people think they have a choice.
On your blog Barry you refer to privatised schools with parents receiving vouchers. Where would you set up your school with the best teachers? A deprived town or an affluent one, as a business man I think you know where the best return would be! It's the same problem, more money, more opportunity. Therefore if you are poor so will your kids be.
And as for the selection of 10 year olds, that makes no sense either. You can't support the idea that intelligence is set if you also believe that a school can exceed expected results defined by the very same descriptors. The two ideas are incompatible.
The Conservative government want people to take responsibility for themselves, which is pretty easy to say when you are a cabinet made up of millionaires.
Unregistered User
26 November 2010
19:0281789Paully B.
I don't know about how the 'kettling' worked but my colleague ,the Shepway Leader and I were able to walk in a pedestrian zone from Westminster Bridge Rd turning left to along in front of the Parliament buildings[Parliament Sq.] past the Millbank TV studios in absolute freedom in the middle of the road.
The demonstrators were certainly contained in Whitehall between Downing St , Foreign Office & Treasury & Parliament St.
Downing St. was being accessed via Horse Guards Rd and police reserves were re-enforcing from that area and the rear of the MOD on the Embankment.
Watty
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
27 November 2010
09:5981873Thanks for that report there PauliW our fearless roving reporter on the spot. Keep up the work with the pictures too, you have a budding new career waiting if it ever goes orribly wrong at the DDC..!!
Good posts all round by the guys...now the latest kerfuffle is about the use of mounted police on horseback charging into the students.
"Police Charge Students" say some of the headlines this morning. I mean my gawd talk about going over the top with the use of charging horses. Its all on YOUTUBE I beleive. R4 couldnt get anyone from the Police Authority in London to talk to them about this item this moring...they hide in their bunkers! As John Humphries said..."now people out there can film these things on their mobile phones and whathaveyou"
Very revealing. There had been no mention previously that horses were used. These things are usually mentioned in media briefings and press releases.
Unregistered User
27 November 2010
11:4581884If you look closely at the photo you can pick out the row of horses to the left of the gates.
Very passive when I was there.
Watty
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
27 November 2010
11:5281885some of the film footage has been shocking, it looks to me that the police were looking for revenge after letting the previous demo get out of control.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
29 November 2010
22:0182354An interesting comment from my grandson Jamie who was 18 last Saturday. He thinks raising the cost means that only those who need to go to uni will go, rather than someone going and not caring if they qualify, but can say they went to uni. Naturally he would have preferred the fees had not been raised.
I hope I have made sense we had a rather long discussion and so had to condense what he said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 November 2010
23:2182369i got the impression that it could be a badge of honour too jan.
not to the majority, i hasten to add.
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
30 November 2010
11:2582391Jan - I do agree with your grandson's view, no doubt many young people want to go to Uni just to 'have a good time'.
---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
30 November 2010
18:5182475the demonstrations go on unabated, note that the welsh assembly are promising lower tuition fees than their english counterparts.
where do they get the money to do so?
could be the english taxpayers underwriting it.