Welfare Reform on the Web (December 2004): Education - UK - Higher
73,000 STUDENTS STRANDED WITHOUT LOANS
A. Blair
The Times, Nov. 8th 2004, p.3
More than 70,000 students have not received their statutory loans and are in danger if failing their degrees as they neglect their studies to try and earn some more money. Ministers are now asking for daily progress reports.
CRACKS IN THE IVORY TOWERS
P. Curtis and J. Crace
Education Guardian, Nov. 16th 2004, p.2-3
From outside, universities may seem like havens of calm and civilisation, but an increasing number of academics are suffering from work-related stress, and even bullying.
LOW FLYERS
D. MacLeod
Education Guardian, Nov. 16th 2004, p.18-19
Did the government forget about new universities, or is it deliberately ignoring them? The author reports on the failure to fund part-time students.
NUMBER OF POOR STUDENTS ENTERING TOP UNIVERSITIES RISES BY 50 PER CENT
S. Cassidy
The Independent, Nov. 11th 2004, p.15
The number of students from poorest backgrounds entering Britain's top universities has increased by nearly 50 per cent since Labour came to power, according to a new analysis of institutions' admissions records by the Sutton Trust.
RAKING IT IN
D. MacCleod
Education Guardian, Nov. 2nd 2004, p.18-19
With the top-up fees, a new era of plenty seems to have dawned at universities across the UK, according to some. Others say that their financial situation has simply stopped getting worse and argue that we have now reached the "high water mark" for higher education funding. Preschool and secondary education will get the politicians' attention from now on.
THIS IS AN EMERGENCY
D. MacCleod
Education Guardian, Nov. 23rd 2004, p.20-21
With not enough degree-level students and confusion about its role, the future for the NHS 'University' looks bleak.
UNIVERSITIES URGED TO HOLD BACK 35,000 PLACES FOR POORER STUDENTS
R. Garner
The Independent, Nov. 9th 2004, p.18
Universities should hold back up to 35,000 places a year until A-level results come out to attract more working-class students, according to the director of the government-backed Office for Fair Access to Higher Education.
UNIVERSITY DEGREES MAY BE SCRAPPED FOR US-STYLE GRADES
S. Cassidy
The Independent, Nov. 4th 2004, p.25
Traditional degree classifications which award students first, second or third-class honours should be abandoned, according to a report by university leaders. The 200-year-old degree classification system has lost meaning due to the numbers of student now awarded first class and 2:1 degrees. The advice is to introduce a system that would tell employers more about students' achievements, strengths and weaknesses. The report was commissioned for Universities UK, a body which represents university vice-chancellors, and the Standing Conference of Principles, which represents leading colleges of further education.