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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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AM warns against further fees hike
September 4, 2006 2:07 PM
A recent research project carried out by Southampton University and independent educational consultancy the Knowledge Partnership has revealed that academic staff at UK universities see £5,000 per year fees as 'the natural ceiling' for top-up fees.
The current maximum fee a University can charge is £3,000 but the UK Government has already said that it will 'review' the fee level in 2009, and most observers expect that the result of the review will be a further increase in the cost of going to college. The Southampton report warns that some institutions, especially 'in London or in isolated locations' may find survival hard at the present £3,000 fee level.
Reacting to this, Peter Black, the Welsh Liberal Democrat education spokesperson said:-
"To simply accept a rise in tuition fees as inevitable is a short-sighted view. We already know that increasing costs put off students from less well off backgrounds from applying to go to university to their and the nation's cost. Not only that, but this Labour obsession with using market economics to drive higher education can only end in price competition between institutions. This will inevitably result in the closure of unfashionable and unprofitable courses no matter how important they may be."
"Welsh Labour claim to be less wedded to the market than their cronies in Westminster. If that is the case then they need to rule out top-up fees in Wales and commit to funding Welsh Higher Education to a standard that enables us to compete across Europe."
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