Lecturer hits out at planned rise in university tuition fees (From This is The West Country)

Lecturer hits out at planned rise in university tuition fees

10:00am Monday 23rd March 2009 in News By Steve Sowden

CREWKERNE lecturer Marcus Barrett has spoken out against the idea from universities to increase tuition fees.

Mr Barrett, who will be standing for the Tories later this year in the Somerset County Council elections, has said that the suggestion to increase fees comes at a time when university vice-chancellors - those responsible for leading higher education institutions - had a reported nine per cent pay rise in the last academic year, with the average now nearly equalling the £200,000 pay of the Prime Minister.

Mr Barrett has said that proposals to raise tuition fees from £3,145 up to a possible £7,000 per year are "unacceptable."

“They are unacceptable when everyone else in Britain is having to cut spending and keep costs down," he said.

"Now, of all times, we need to encourage learning and training - not put the next generation off further training.

"We cannot compete against economies around the world if we price our own young people out of learning.”

Marcus Barrett, himself a lecturer of A’level students many of whom go on to local universities, said this "double-whammy of deterrent" must be stopped so that those on low incomes are not put off university by higher course fees that could go as high as 50k for a three year course.

He added that those from more affluent backgrounds could find they get less as families are going through a tough recession.

Mr Barrett, a former leader of Crewkerne's Chamber of Commerce, has listened to the views of business studies students at Wadham Community School on the local economic situation.

"Universities must not be allowed to demand more money from students now – at a time of potential parental redundancy and falling salaries," he said.

"The costs of university education must not be allowed to rise when most other costs around us are falling.”