Impact of Government's top-up fees being realised (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Impact of Government's top-up fees being realised

February 4, 2004 12:00 AM

Since tuition fees were introduced in 1998, the number of students declaring themselves bankrupt has increased by over 900%, as demonstrated by figures released by the Liberal Democrats. Commenting, Cllr Laura Willoughby, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Islington North said: "Fees equal debt. As fees increases, so will the number of students being forced to take desperate measures to pay off their debt - the Government have failed to look at how their latest bombshell to students will hit young people. "The Government believe that bankruptcy has become an ?easy route? for students and that the answer is to change the law. If all the Government is concerned about is getting its money back, then they have missed the point about student debt. "The only way to help students out of their debt misery is to abolish fees once and for all." Figures also reveal that the £3,000 a year tuition fees will lead to enormous levels of debt in every region in England. £1.6bn each year by 2010 in London alone. One of the biggest impacts of feeís will be future teachers. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said today, tuition fees up to £3,000 a year would leave student teachers "particularly disadvantaged". Cllr Laura Willoughby added: "The governments decision is a serious threat to the future supply of teachers and lecturers which in Islington, where we have a shortage anyway could be devastating. "The teaching profession is already struggling to recruit and retain teachers in key subjects such as Maths, Science, Modern Languages The effects of this Bill will make the situation far worse. "With debts of £21,000 teachers would be seeing 42% of their marginal income disappearing in tax, with high transport and rents in London we could see Islington being badly affected.î "Any graduate with a degree that attracted the £3000 fee will simply not be able to afford taking on PGCE studies without private income."

This year's Graduate Teacher Training Registry has already shown a 25% drop off in the number of graduates applying to early years teacher training.