Mr Speaker, thank you for calling me.
My sympathies on this emotive issue lie with both the government and the students.
There is no doubt this planned threefold increase in tuition fees concerns me.
We used to have the best university system in the world.
Our aim must be to maintain that gold standard, which is in the interest of all our students.
And a significant part of that aim must be to get more students from poorer backgrounds up to this standard, rather than lowering the standard to the lowest common denominator.
To achieve this, the spotlight must therefore be placed on primary and secondary education, which Michael Gove is now doing ... and not before time.
So far as further education is concerned, my concern has always been on the previous government’s unrealistic target of pushing 50 per cent of students to university.
Not only is this unrealistic ... it’s unaffordable.
And one of the obvious consequences is this inevitable hike in tuition fees.
Another unintended consequence could see a significant drop in student numbers and that would mean some universities going to wall.
More provision would then have to be made for vocational courses ... this would create a more realistic and affordable further education system, which we once used to have.
We must stop fooling ourselves ... and students ... and start being honest.
Why should all young people have to go to university?
There are many who would be better off learning to design ... to build ... or to create.
The latest figures from the higher education statistics agency (HESA) project a first year drop-out of 13 per cent, with a further 6 per cent changing courses – that’s one in five!
Canvassing in my constituency, I have met many retired engineers, all of whom had a highly successful career, but none of whom had been to university.
The opportunity to pursue this career was available then ... and frankly should be re-introduced today.
Going to university today does not guarantee success or a job.
And in many cases the degrees obtained are not worth the paper they’re written on ... and certainly employers are not recognising them.
Finally, we should not forget apprenticeships.
Our government is expanding this area and, again, not before time.
And if ever public money should be used to support investment in UK plc ... this is it.
Help employers take on youngsters by funding part of it from the public purse.
Of course, the apprenticeships must be genuine, with a qualification at the end of it ... but that guarantee would have to come from the employer.
To sum up, I see no other alternative to what the government is proposing, taking into account the appalling financial mess we have inherited and that Labour rather disingenuously pushed its policy of stuffing our universities with students, thereby making it unaffordable.
Let’s get back to that gold standard that once was the envy of the world ... and re-ignite state education so it can send our brightest to our top universities.
END