A guest post by Linda Hawkins, otherwise known as Zenfrog, on the government’s commitment to our future education by slashing £100 million from its funding. She describes how it turned her into an activist:
I’m blogging about an issue that is very close to my heart – the catastrophic Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) higher education cuts. I don’t pretend to understand the ins and outs of the whole financial package, but I can see how this is going to affect everyone who wants to achieve at higher-level education.
I strongly urge you to read this devastating letter from the Innovation, University and Skills Secretary, John Denham, describing how he plans to decimate higher education.
He has instructed them shave £100 million from the funding of ‘students studying for a second higher educational qualification at the same or a lower level’.
It has been promulgated as an increase in funding by the Labour Party, as they strive to explain how they are widening the access route to higher education for many more students from all walks of life, but this is serious political spin.
The result of these funding cuts will be disastrous for every single student hoping to achieve in the higher education sector. The knock on affects of pulling that amount of money from a specific sector will impact negatively on higher education, adult education, research, course development, employment prospects for all those involved in higher education, and eventually for first time degree hopefuls.
As universities lose those students taking a second bite at the educational cherry, they will have to close courses and increase the cost of those they keep open. It is a “disastrous decision” which university blogging lecturer fat man on a keyboard, Peter Ryley has considerable reservations about . His excellent blog warns about the impact these savage cuts will have on the future of educational institutions, and at the grass roots level, the individuals who will be left with nothing.
As for myself, I am a very late returner to education, enjoying every moment of it, and very grateful for its existence.
There are great swathes of people who are going to suffer because of these cuts, those who want to re-skill, change career paths, use it as a life line because of a disability or having caring responsibilities, or who just have some ‘me’ time and want to indulge themselves after years of either working and paying taxes, or looking after families.
What an awful thought that people will not have that option open to them in the future.
I feel so strongly that I have turned into a part time activist, and have set up a facebook group, as well as on twitter. I’m hoping as many people as possible will register their protest at these cuts. A colleague has set up the 10 Downing Street petition, which is steaming away as I write, so please sign it and join our networking groups.
I am a mature student with The Open University, returning to study after 40 years, gosh that makes me sound really old, but anyway, I have three wonderful grown up children, one gorgeous granddaughter, with another one due in around two weeks, so great excitement here. I am a reformed drinker and smoker, so very boring, but I love studying, learning and blogging.
I hope I have been able to show how passionate I feel about this, and strongly encourage you all to join me in fighting for our educational rights, for our generation and the ones which will follow.
Hello Ellee,
Just to write in support of Linda, who is a friend and colleague. Linda is absolutely right. So far we have received no reassurance from the government that is really worth anything. They are pretending that they have got transitional relief, so that universities are saved for the first three years but the main point I want to get across is that they have taken the finance in the first place. This is the action of a government, prima facie that does not like learning, whilst chanting the mantra of life long learning. Let it be seen that their actions apeak louder than words and they will eventually be judged on their actions. In the meantime, please everyone, support the campaign and support it passionately.
I admire your passion for education but, having worked in this field all my life, can sort of see the government’s reasoning here: we are funding many students who, for their own reasons, do not intend to become employed any time soon, and they keep on getting “parallel” qualifications for as long as possible. The trouble with a decision like this is it hits the truly deserving, like yourself.
Hi Elle,
don’t know the ins and outs of this one.
But ironically there used to be a free higher education and university grants, which the conservatives & Thatcher slashed, and which Blair in true thatcherite style further reduced by introducing tuition fees.
I can understand laborites criticising Labour for intriducing privatisation into the nhs & health care, and into higher education.
But it’s a bit rich coming from conservatives. Criticise Blair for carrying on with Thatcher’s good work. Would the conservatives extend access to higher education? Would the conservatives extend access to health care? – regardless of ability to pay.
And of course we can all blame Europe & The EU. Perhaps we should really be blaming the US from who we are learning bad habits, instead of teaching them (the US) good ‘social’ graces.
[…] Ellee wrote a fantastic post today on “Education, education, education – £100 million axed from higher …”Here’s ONLY a quick extractA guest post by Linda Hawkins, otherwise known as Zenfrog, on the government’s commitment to our future education by slashing £100 million from its funding. She describes how it turned her into an activist: … […]
Linda, thanks for this provocative post. I’m a late learner too in the academic sense. I never want to stop learning. Improving knowledge can only be for the better for the individual and society, we should be encouraged as much as possible. Where will the axe fall next, I ask myself.
Hi Ellee, thank you for providing me with this platform.
To Welshcakes, it will not only be those going for a second degree. When they cut the funding, those second time students will not be able to afford to study, so numbers will decrease, leaving uni’s to cancel classes/courses, making them raise the cost of the courses they are able to run.
The savage cuts will hit course development, research, and those employed in HE/FE, this will trickle down very quickly and affect students wanting to study for a first degree, which is what the Labour Party are saying, they are improving by these cuts, this is spin/lies, it won’t help ‘any’ students.
There will be less course choice, fewer tutors; the limited range of courses will be available at grossly inflated prices.
The cost will make sure that those on a limited income are priced out of HE/FE, and that will be the end of life long learning in this country.
We must stop this happening.
Please join the group, and sign the petition, both linked within the article above.
Thank you.
Linda
[…] Read the rest of this great post here […]
The University and College Union say funding cuts contradict government’s own life long learning policy.
See the latest report here
political networking
political networking
I’ve posted the latest word from the Open University on the funding cuts.
The Vice Chancellor, Brenda Gourley, says they will mean ‘real terms cuts’, and should be ‘withdrawn, suspended or limited’, and that the OU are going to be ‘mounting a public affairs campaign to oppose the change in principle’.
Please read and once again I urge you to sign the petition, and join the protest group on facebook.
The group has lots of advice on what you can do to register your protest.
Linda
I am so glad that we have received such an encouraging response from the Vice Chancellor of the Open University. The cuts are in the area of £31m from next year and will bite very deeply by the end of the transitional period. The government has completely forgotten that the work done in lifelong learning has radial effects all over the higher education network. This particular government has demonstrated its non-committment to lifelong learning at a stroke. Join us in campaigning against these cuts.
http://Donald2000.blogspot.com
while i can see the effect of these funding for people taking another degree. i dont think the effects are as clear cut for part time courses. i have writen to 2 insitution effected by the cuts and found there to be little specific information and confusions about what the cuts mean to part time courses. Can anyone shed any light on theses
Hi Susan, I agree it is a very complicated issue, and colleges and uni’s are not fully conversant in what the cuts will mean, but in general it will mean that courses will be much more expensive, there will be less of them, less choice as course development will be cut, and this will trickle down to first time buyers of higher education as well as having a highly negative impact on ELQ’s.
I’ve added a couple of web sites, which have very helpful information on the issue and what can be done to try and stop the cuts.
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2947
http://politicalnetworking.blogspot.com/