When the government regulatory body OFFA announced this week that all English universities had been allowed to charge the fees they had set for themselves, equal access campaigners were angry but unsurprised. The ‘toothless’ regulators put in place by the government to allow tuition fees of £9000 only “under exceptional circumstances” have allowed fees to climb to an average of £8393.
New figures this week revealed a shocking divide between pupils from private and state schools getting into the elite Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Is Oxbridge entry biased, or does the problem lie elsewhere in the education system?
As the tuition fees furore continues, two teenagers have won an unprecedented battle to take the fight to the High Court. They will argue that the government’s new tuition fees policy contravenes human rights law by disadvantaging students from poorer backgrounds and creating an elitist system where university is for the rich.
As examination board AQA unveils plans to introduce a new ‘super’ A* with distinction, we question the valididty and wisdom of introducing such levels of elitism to the academic system. Will they pick out the best and brightest students, or just those who are good at following the rules, and will they discriminate against state school pupils?
A surprising new study has been published, ranking the top universities worldwide for the arts and humanities. Whilst Oxford and Cambridge Universities perform competitively, the data is more surprising for other UK universities…
Amidst the chaotic unravelling of the government’s plans for higher education in England, an impressive group of famous academics has decided to open their own ‘Super University’ of the humanities to rival Oxford and Cambridge and provide the best possible education…to the privileged few who can afford it…
In a historic move, academics from Oxford and Cambridge Universities seem likely to join forces to oppose the government’s new higher education policy with a ‘vote of no confidence’ in Universities Minister David Willetts. We look at the way the new tuition fees policy has gradually unravelled.
Michelle Obama gave an inspirational speech to students from a London school during her recent trip to the UK. We look at why it is more important than ever for young people to be encouraged to reach for their academic goals, and question why there are not more UK role models for our students.
