THERE was massive anger yesterday after the Tory-led coalition announced its plan to enable the rich to purchase a university place for their offspring.
James Haywood, Communications Officer of Goldsmiths student union, told News Line: ‘This exposes how all of these reforms are in the interests of the rich.’
Angie Goddard, who was part of the London Met Occupation, added to News Line: ‘It is completely ridiculous that places are being offered to students who can afford super-high fees whereas working class students are not given the same opportunities.’
Haywood continued: ‘At London Met we are seeing course cuts of 70 per cent but you do not see that at elitist universities like Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial.
‘This recent announcement about the rich being able to buy a university place is yet another example of this.
‘When universities fill their quota then you can only assume that the students left did not achieve their acceptance offer grades.
‘However, students with less ability, but with plenty of cash, will still get a chance to go if they are willing and able to pay fees equivalent to international students.
‘The whole logic of increased fees is that education becomes about what you can afford and not about your ability.’
David Barclay, president of Oxford University students union, warned: ‘This policy will fundamentally undermine the principle of academic integrity’
Rich students who are prepared to pay fees as high as £18,000 a year are to be given special ‘extra quota’ places under the Tory coalition’s new proposal.
The current system limits each university to a quota of student places set by the government.
Once a university fills its quota, the doors are shut and the rest of the students are turned away.
However, under the new proposals the richest students would be an exception to this rule, and as long as they are prepared to pay fees equivalent to those paid by international students they would be offered the privilege of an ‘extra quota’ place.
David Barclay continued: ‘Entry requirements for getting into Oxford are not a minimum standard above which anyone will do.
‘You can get three As at A-level and still not get in.
‘We pick the best of the best regardless of their ability to pay.
‘This policy would fundamentally undermine the principle of academic integrity on which the world leading reputation of our university is based.’
Lecturers union UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt slammed the proposals: ‘Far from increasing social mobility, it is hard to see how this is anything other than the government entrenching privilege for the wealthy in response to its failing university fees policy.
‘We risk turning the clock back to a time when breeding rather than brains was required to get on in life.’
Angie Goddard added: ‘London Met is the perfect example of a university where a lot of working class students are trying to make something better for their lives.
‘We occupied London Met university against 70 per cent of our courses being cut.’
Students have now been evicted from a six-day occupation.An injunction was served on the students at 11.45pm on Tuesday night. They were threatened with being arrested if they did not leave within ten minutes.
