Britain’s PM, Rishi Sunak, has accused universities in the country of taking advantage of students with overpriced and subpar courses. As part of the Conservative government’s agenda, new limitations will be imposed on degrees that have high dropout rates or fail to lead to professional employment. However, opposition parties such as Labour and the Liberal Democrats argue that these measures hinder aspirations and make it harder for disadvantaged students to access higher education.
Balancing Outcomes and Opportunities: Government’s Plan to Regulate Courses for Better Employment Prospects
The government intends to task the Office for Students (OfS) with regulating student numbers in courses that do not deliver favourable outcomes, including future earning potential. Sunak’s central message is that success in life does not solely rely on attending university. He claims that many students are being deceived into enrolling in low-quality programs that fail to provide worthwhile job prospects, ultimately leaving them worse off financially.
Education Minister Robert Halfon has refuted claims that the policy targets arts and humanities courses, emphasizing that it focuses on individual programs with poor employment outcomes. While he declined to specify which degrees might face recruitment limits, he defended the policy as a means of ensuring good skills and job prospects for university graduates.
The government does not plan to grant additional powers to the OfS to cap student numbers. Instead, existing powers will be utilized to ensure students receive quality education and secure good employment opportunities. As part of the measures, the maximum fee for classroom-based foundation year courses will be reduced to £5,760, aiming to discourage unnecessary enrolment in subjects that do not require such preparation.
Debating the Future of Higher Education: Striking a Balance between Quality and Access
Rishi Sunak argues that these actions will prevent young people from being misled into pursuing poor-quality courses at the taxpayers’ expense, with limited chances of obtaining decent jobs. The Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, vows to crack down on higher education providers offering substandard courses and send a clear signal against false promises.
Critics, however, including Labour and the Liberal Democrats, view these measures as limiting aspirations and choices for young people. They accuse the government of reinforcing class barriers rather than dismantling them. Concerns are raised about creating fresh obstacles to opportunities, particularly in areas with fewer graduate job prospects.
Amidst the debate, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson dismisses the policy as a cap on aspirations, making it harder for disadvantaged students to pursue further education. She criticizes Rishi Sunak for recycling a previously announced and withdrawn policy, suggesting a lack of fresh ideas.
