Tuition Fees Social Mobility 2023-07-17
2023-07-17
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Tuition fees impact disadvantaged students' access and debt burden.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of tuition fees on the social mobility of young people. The introduction of tuition fees did not lead to fewer disadvantaged young people going into higher education, but in the last academic year, English students graduated with £30,000 more debt than Scottish counterparts.
The introduction of tuition fees has not led to fewer disadvantaged young people going into higher education. The 18-year-old entry rate for disadvantaged students in England increased from 14.4% in 2011 to 25.1% in 2022. Low-income students living away from home will qualify for more living cost support over the coming year than low-income students in Scotland.
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Assessment & feedback
Admitted no policies are pushing students into debt and out of university, despite evidence presented by the questioner.
Actually
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
English students face higher debt compared to Scottish counterparts, leading to concerns about the government's policies.
I thank the Minister for that answer but, in the last academic year, English students graduated with £30,000 more debt than their Scottish counterparts. Despite this, both the Government and the Labour party refuse to follow the Scottish Government's lead by abolishing tuition fees in England. With over 16,000 undergraduates dropping out of higher education this year, will this Government admit that their policies are pushing students into debt and often out of university?
Actually, we are being fair both to students and to all those taxpayers who do not go to university. Low-income students living away from home will qualify for more living cost support over the coming year than low-income students in Scotland.
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Assessment & feedback
The question about admitting policies push students into debt and out of university was entirely avoided.
Actually
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The new Labour dream has left many graduates saddled with debt and unable to find graduate jobs.
Will the Department look to go further by identifying whole universities that could be transformed into higher technical and vocational institutions, which would give far more young people the opportunities and training they really need for the productive jobs of the future?
We are already doing a lot, because we are introducing institutes of technology, which are collaborations between higher education and further education that provide flagship skills and teach higher technical qualifications, with 21 across the country.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not commit to identifying whole universities for transformation into higher technical institutions.
Response accuracy