Comments on: Tuition Fees http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/401 Every day the Prime Minister's Spokesman meets a small coterie of political journalists known as 'the lobby' for a topical chat, or 'briefing'. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:24:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Uncarved Block http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/401#comment-600 Uncarved Block Wed, 24 Mar 2004 22:15:16 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/401#comment-600 "There had been genuine dialogue about this issue." But I don't think there has been a genuine debate about this issue. The only question has been 'do you support our Bill or not?'. There has been no discussion about alternative forms of funding, nothing about the benefits of higher education (in whatever sense you wish to interpret that), nothing about whether encouraging more people to take it up is a good thing, and on and on. There are many issues around higher education that have just been ignored. Unfortunately this Government has yet again assumed that they know best without any need for explanation or justification. It wouldn't be so bad if they had made clear the ideological principle that is driving this policy but I don't think New Labour has either any ideologies or any principles. "There had been genuine dialogue about this issue." But I don’t think there has been a genuine debate about this issue. The only question has been ‘do you support our Bill or not?’.

There has been no discussion about alternative forms of funding, nothing about the benefits of higher education (in whatever sense you wish to interpret that), nothing about whether encouraging more people to take it up is a good thing, and on and on.

There are many issues around higher education that have just been ignored. Unfortunately this Government has yet again assumed that they know best without any need for explanation or justification. It wouldn’t be so bad if they had made clear the ideological principle that is driving this policy but I don’t think New Labour has either any ideologies or any principles.

]]>