By Jack Stanley
It went largely unnoticed in the media this week, but since Monday the government has begun cutting educational expenses throughout the U.K. We all knew this was eventually going to happen, we’re in an ‘economic-mishap-that-must-not-be-named’. Cuts are an inevitable consequence of that. Yet the extent to which the government is hacking into the education system is startling.
Let’s deal with the universities. Despite record demand for university places, (estimates are that around seven people will apply for every one place in a university this year) the government has planned to cut £215 million pounds from the university teaching budget. During peak demand, the government is introducing measures that will lead to a loss of staff from universities to teach.Grants for ‘Capital Projects’ – such as new buildings – have been cut by 14.9%. (About £142m in real terms), leaving me wondering how such developments will affect universities with ambitious expansion plans? The overall message is that universities are receiving £449m less than they expected to this year; over the next three years the figure to be taken away from university budgets is closer to £950m. I don’t mind that the government is making cuts, I accept they’re a sensible idea.Yet I cant help but feel that education is sufferening because of the mistakes of others. Surely education is something that we should be investing in? Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems pretty logical to try and avoid reducing its budget too dramatically. The cuts to universities are so large that the President of the NUS is warning of ‘irreversible’ damage to the international reputation of British universities.
I can’t help but feel that education is suffering because of the mistakes of others
As someone who has spent many years abroad in foreign schools, I know only too well how prized and respected the British education system is. University educated students are among our most successful exports. To cut funding to the institutions may make a brief dent in our national budget. But the long term implications are, however, far more dangerous to the continued success of our economy. Universities aren’t the only institutions to be affected. The government has also scrapped the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youths (NAfGTY) recently. The funds are to be re-directed to help disadvantaged children go to university. Yet in the same week they announce that the amount given to universities to encourage disadvantaged children to participate in higher education will be reduced to £144m. Surely this is giving with one hand and taking away with the other? I don’t have a problem with the government promoting educational equality, but with some refining I think the NAfGTY could have been a great scheme in the UK enabling us to find our most gifted youngsters and aiding them in their endeavours. Perhaps the government should’ve made efforts to support both schemes at the cost of other sectors. Finance perhaps?
So what is to become of our education system? Privately run universities could be the future. It has recently been announced that Lego will begin building their first private university in Europe. I kid you not, this will actually be introduced in Denmark. Lego will legally be allowed to give people degree level qualifications. In light of economic hardship, privatisation of education is becoming a very attractive option for governments to cut costs. It’s a fact; education is increasingly becoming big business. I’m not sure I fancy the idea of my children going to a university run by Lego… I might be more inclined to send them to one run by Marks & Sparks though. (Insert your own ‘this is M&S quality’ education pun here)
I sympathise with the people that have to make these decisions. The fact of the matter is we’re all going to have to ‘grin and bear it’. Cuts are inevitable. Yet I can’t help but feel that these cuts are a knee jerk reaction and haven’t been thoroughly thought through. In which case it’s not just future students who are going to suffer, there seems to be a much wider problem.