With students taking to the streets of Cheltenham today in protest of higher tuition fees you can’t help but feel for their situation. I personally didn’t go to university, opting instead for the School of tea making and hard graft but this isn’t to say I didn’t consider it. If I were to make that good and bad list today the crippling debt on the bad side would quickly make my decision. Education is hugely important, we don’t want to be a country of illiterate, Xfactor addicted irks.
I understand we are a country in debt but this is an extraordinary rise, with suggested fees flying up to three times the current cost. We are soothed with promises of this being the maximum amount charged but I have no doubt this would become the norm. What solution is there? Alan Johnson wrote on The Times today (sorry for linking to a pay wall) that the fairest option is graduate tax and I’m inclined to agree. I write this as someone who would no have to suffer such a tax but it still seems the responsible option rather than borrowing tens of thousands of pounds from the government with no clear route to paying it back.
The person who undoubtedly looks the worst is this is Nick Clegg, who has gone from student pin up to student dart board. If you would like to see him defending his position on tuition fees here is his interview with Sky News earlier today. Piers Morgan summed up his appearance fantastically proclaiming him to look like a ‘harpooned eel’ when commenting about the interview on Twitter.
I look forward to seeing the result of the vote tomorrow and sincerely hope the student voice has been heard.
Tags: Eel, Nick Clegg, Student, Tuition Fees
