STUDENTS and trade unions yesterday condemned next Monday’s opening of the first private medical school since the 1940s, charging students an astronomic £162,000 for the degree course.
The school is being opened by the first private university to be granted a royal charter, Buckinghamshire University, which says it has been ‘staggered’ by the ‘huge response’ to its medical degree course, costing students a massive £36,000 a year.
University of Sussex Students Union Communications Officer, Michael Segalov, told News Line: ‘This is another example of UK universities turning into nothing more than profit-making businesses.
‘Since the introduction of top-up fees under Tony Blair, universities and colleges have been turning into an array of money-making establishments.
‘The government claims that student loans balance out the inequality that exists in our communities when it comes to higher education.
‘But creeping privatisation and ever-increasing student debt show this is just not the case. The exponential growth in private institutions is creating a two-tier system where the more money you’ve got the better the education.
‘The idea that people from a poorer background can afford £162,000 is farcical. Instead we’ll continue to see the wealthiest few able to access higher education and careers.’
Sally Hunt, University and College Union (UCU) General Secretary, told News Line: ‘We need to be doing all we can to open up our universities to the very brightest students, not just the richest.
‘Exorbitant fee levels can act as a barrier for too many students and represent a failing of us as a country to ensure the best brains in the country can afford to train as doctors.’
A British Medical Association (BMA) spokesperson told News Line: ‘We have concerns about private medical schools for two reasons.
‘Primarily, our concern is over workforce planning. At private medical schools, student numbers are not generally taken into account.
‘So there may not be jobs at the end of the course. ‘Our other concern is in terms of collective participation.
‘The BMA feels that the NHS workforce should reflect society as a whole. Offering places at a cost of £35,000 a year means you are only going to get the more affluent students.’
