What would abolishing tution fees REALLY cost?

[SueEllen]

Indeed, also if we stopped raiding other countries for pre trained staff maybe more companies would train staff & try to retain them?

The Philippines deliberately trains too many nurses as they send back money when they work abroad.

[sal]

You guys are missing the point. Who cares about what the Students and the Country needs, it's all about votes.

Abolishing the fees wins votes

Keeping the fees, saves money that can be used elsewhere to win votes

Sensible solutions like funding specific subjects or places or means testing are neither here nor there and don't win votes.

[SueEllen]

You guys are missing the point. Who cares about what the Students and the Country needs, it's all about votes.

Abolishing the fees wins votes

Keeping the fees, saves money that can be used elsewhere to win votes

Sensible solutions like funding specific subjects or places or means testing are neither here nor there and don't win votes.

But sensible solutions would win more votes according to polls.

[d000hg]

If less people went to uni what would they do instead? We have fewer and fewer menial/manual jobs. The idea that you don't start work until 21 is rather attractive

[sal]

If less people went to uni what would they do instead? We have fewer and fewer menial/manual jobs. The idea that you don't start work until 21 is rather attractive

Plenty of jobs in Retail, hotels and restaurants. Teaches some basic stuff like responsibility and interaction with coworkers/management usefull in any other job later in life. Actually making money instead of debt in the process.

[OwlHoot]

FTFY.
.. what do you call an ausbildung in English? Ich wergessen.. whereby you learn on job but get a recognised qualification at the end.

Crikey, sounds like you're going native! An apprenticeship?

[meridian]

A "reality check" in the BBC suggest that the government would have to put aside an extra £11bn a year to pay for tuition fees, although once those who do not pay back their loans is factored in, this falls to £8bn a year.

When tuition fees were brought in, did it save the government £11b a year? If so, where has this money gone?

[d000hg]

Plenty of jobs in Retail, hotels and restaurants. Teaches some basic stuff like responsibility and interaction with coworkers/management usefull in any other job later in life. Actually making money instead of debt in the process.

Millions of jobs? And then when you've been a waiter and haven't got a degree, what are you going to do?
As automation gathers pace there will be fewer and fewer jobs to do. The very notion of employment will be challenged to some degree. It's going to be very challenging.

[scooterscot]

Crikey, sounds like you're going native! An apprenticeship?

That's it!

It's frustrating, sometimes you just don't remember the word or cannot convey the meaning. But an Ausbildung is not exactly like an apprenticeship, somehow it's different. And there's a respect for people who've worked years gaining their ausbildung whereas in the UK it is almost the reverse. Culture / attitude as much as anything.

[VectraMan]

And Germany educates foreigners for more or less free, and in English too. People here would think that was insane, but maybe they think by encouraging students to go there many will settle and Germany benefits from an influx of bright young graduates. In Britain the attitude is "It's discustin. Why should I have to pay for somebody else!".

If I were 18 again I know what I'd do.