Conferences Season in the UK Ends

The conference season came to an end, but did it answer the questions that need to be answered, or did it leave the public with further questions about the nature of UK universities tuition fees? The National Union of Students has been trying to make their message reach those in power, and it is considered a breakthrough that the government finally admitted that the current education funding system needs to be reformed.

The NUS clearly stated that raising the repayment threshold is a positive step; however, as reported by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, this will only benefit middle-earning graduates. And freezing university tuition fees at £9,250 will only benefit the richest graduates. The union also asserted that the system is bad for students and universities, as well as everyone because taxpayers will finally have to bail out this system. The Prime Minister, Theresa May, is currently being urged to reconsider the system, think outside the box, and let go of stale and dull unhelpful systems.

Andreas Schleicher, the education director of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said “The UK system is probably the most sustainable,”

 “The one caveat I would make is that the returns are becoming more volatile and more varied. The earnings returns in England are not as good as in some other countries.”