The Tories have stated they think students are a burden on taxpayers – is this because they haven’t forgiven them for taking such a vociferous stance against Maggie Thatcher in the 1980s? Or maybe they believe that as the cuts dig deeper, UK students will be unlikely to sit lethargically on the sidelines.
More likely, Willetts' view represents the harsh reality of Tory educational policy – enhance division, establish elitism and oppress working class kids so they know their rightful place.
Francis Bacon once argued knowledge is power and it is quite clear that when the working class are allowed access to educational opportunity, they quickly understand the nature of oppression and set about becoming active to destroy the chains controlling them. Notably, the Tories say they are intent on imposing cuts, but they refuse to abolish the charitable status of private schools, thus saving half a billion pound over 5-years.
With all the errors of the last Labour government (and there were many), one of the highlight of 13-years of power was the increased accessibility of higher education. This will be eliminated at a stroke if Willett’s has his way and imposes increased student fees. One can only hope the National Union of Students , UCU, Unison and other trade unionists campaign against these oppressive moves.
The UK once had a proud array of higher education establishments, but due to lack of funding many are showing signs of decay. Rather than address this, the Tories will take matters further and impoverish many of the newer universities as well as a large number of working class teenagers who access their facilities.
It is wrong to remove opportunity from ordinary working class people wrong, it is unjust and it must be opposed.
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