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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/feb/18/cutting-tuition-fees-would-backfire-justine-greening-warns-theresa-may
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| Cutting tuition fees would backfire, Justine Greening warns PM | Cutting tuition fees would backfire, Justine Greening warns PM |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Ex-education secretary says reducing fees for some courses would harm social mobility | Ex-education secretary says reducing fees for some courses would harm social mobility |
| Richard Adams Education editor | Richard Adams Education editor |
| Sun 18 Feb 2018 15.01 GMT | Sun 18 Feb 2018 15.01 GMT |
| Last modified on Sun 18 Feb 2018 17.29 GMT | |
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| The government’s desire to cut tuition fees for students on courses with lower graduate earnings is fraught with difficulty and unlikely to succeed, the former education secretary Justine Greening has warned. | The government’s desire to cut tuition fees for students on courses with lower graduate earnings is fraught with difficulty and unlikely to succeed, the former education secretary Justine Greening has warned. |
| Speaking ahead of Theresa May’s announcement on Monday of a major review of higher education funding, Greening outlined her concern that forcing fees lower in such circumstances would backfire and harm social mobility. | Speaking ahead of Theresa May’s announcement on Monday of a major review of higher education funding, Greening outlined her concern that forcing fees lower in such circumstances would backfire and harm social mobility. |
| Greening’s comments – just a few weeks after she was effectively removed by May for opposing a review of tuition funding in England – suggests the Conservative party is still divided over how to handle rising student debt, and rebut Labour’s offer to scrap tuition fees entirely. | Greening’s comments – just a few weeks after she was effectively removed by May for opposing a review of tuition funding in England – suggests the Conservative party is still divided over how to handle rising student debt, and rebut Labour’s offer to scrap tuition fees entirely. |
| The review order by May is to be chaired by a senior business figure, and will include representatives from higher and further education institutions, including a former vice-chancellor, as well as Prof Alison Wolf, an economist from King’s College London regarded as a formidable advocate of supporting further education. | The review order by May is to be chaired by a senior business figure, and will include representatives from higher and further education institutions, including a former vice-chancellor, as well as Prof Alison Wolf, an economist from King’s College London regarded as a formidable advocate of supporting further education. |
| Greening was responding to comments by her successor, Damian Hinds, who wants the review to cut tuition costs for less “benefical” or lucrative degrees in order to save students from higher loans. | Greening was responding to comments by her successor, Damian Hinds, who wants the review to cut tuition costs for less “benefical” or lucrative degrees in order to save students from higher loans. |
| “The review is going to have a challenge working out what is a beneficial degree,” said Greening, who was replaced by Hinds by May last month after she refused to carry out the funding review. | “The review is going to have a challenge working out what is a beneficial degree,” said Greening, who was replaced by Hinds by May last month after she refused to carry out the funding review. |
| Greening told ITV’s Robert Peston that companies facing shortages of graduates with science and technology degrees would “wonder why” those courses had become more expensive. | Greening told ITV’s Robert Peston that companies facing shortages of graduates with science and technology degrees would “wonder why” those courses had become more expensive. |
| “The thing that really matters, from my perspective, is social mobility, and making sure we don’t end up with a system where young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds feel like they ought to do one of the cheaper degrees, rather than doing the degree they actually want that will unlock their potential in the future,” Greening said. | “The thing that really matters, from my perspective, is social mobility, and making sure we don’t end up with a system where young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds feel like they ought to do one of the cheaper degrees, rather than doing the degree they actually want that will unlock their potential in the future,” Greening said. |
| May is due to announce the terms of the “radical review” in a speech on Monday, but Greening cast doubt on the government’s ability to make meaningful changes to the system of tuition fees and student loans. | May is due to announce the terms of the “radical review” in a speech on Monday, but Greening cast doubt on the government’s ability to make meaningful changes to the system of tuition fees and student loans. |
| “I was determined to make sure we didn’t kick this into the long grass and spend time looking at things instead of taking action,” Greening said of her reaction to May’s call for a review. | “I was determined to make sure we didn’t kick this into the long grass and spend time looking at things instead of taking action,” Greening said of her reaction to May’s call for a review. |
| Greening instead offered a string of more radical proposals, including the reintroduction of maintenance grants and removing interest rates entirely from student loan repayments. | Greening instead offered a string of more radical proposals, including the reintroduction of maintenance grants and removing interest rates entirely from student loan repayments. |
| In an interview with the Sunday Times, Hinds suggested course fees could vary from their current level of £9,250 in England based on a combination of the cost of putting on the course, the salary outcomes for graduates on each course, as well as some calculation of national or economic interest. | In an interview with the Sunday Times, Hinds suggested course fees could vary from their current level of £9,250 in England based on a combination of the cost of putting on the course, the salary outcomes for graduates on each course, as well as some calculation of national or economic interest. |
| Under the current system of funding, courses are divided into cost bands, with more expensive courses such as medicine and engineering receiving a top-up from the government. | Under the current system of funding, courses are divided into cost bands, with more expensive courses such as medicine and engineering receiving a top-up from the government. |
| Hinds’ remarks suggest that social science and humanities courses at some universities could see their fees capped, especially if recent graduates have earned salaries below those of other graduates. | Hinds’ remarks suggest that social science and humanities courses at some universities could see their fees capped, especially if recent graduates have earned salaries below those of other graduates. |
| Mark Leach, of the higher education think tank Wonkhe, said the government’s arguments were incoherent and could damage the sector. “The reasons why some courses in some universities carry different graduate earnings potential is highly complicated and influenced by the strength of the local employment market in the region around any university,” Leach said. | Mark Leach, of the higher education think tank Wonkhe, said the government’s arguments were incoherent and could damage the sector. “The reasons why some courses in some universities carry different graduate earnings potential is highly complicated and influenced by the strength of the local employment market in the region around any university,” Leach said. |
| “Forcing struggling universities to charge lower fees to poorer students – and therefore have less money to spend on their retention, learning, facilities and other real value for money indicators, could simply entrench a cycle of poverty. | “Forcing struggling universities to charge lower fees to poorer students – and therefore have less money to spend on their retention, learning, facilities and other real value for money indicators, could simply entrench a cycle of poverty. |
| “This is the very opposite of what universities are supposed to be for and must surely run counter to the prime minister’s claim to care about social mobility and those ‘just about managing’.” | “This is the very opposite of what universities are supposed to be for and must surely run counter to the prime minister’s claim to care about social mobility and those ‘just about managing’.” |
| Tuition fees | Tuition fees |
| Justine Greening | Justine Greening |
| Higher education | Higher education |
| Students | Students |
| Conservatives | Conservatives |
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