It is a fallacy that a country which is short of key workers and craftsmen needs a never-ending stream of university graduates, many of whom have taken Mickey Mouse subjects.They come out of university with a degree in doughnut management or some equivalent piffle and then expect degree standard employment when their qualifications have little or no currency in the workplace.
Even graduates today in traditional, academic subjects are attaining entry levels from a much lower base than 30 years ago.
Governments do not want to reduce the numbers going to university as it helps disguise the true unemployment figures, whilst rhetoric about 'preparing for the UK's employment demands of the future' is nothing but hot air.
Of course, we cannot afford to fund these massive amounts of students! We must return to the times when universities were genuine centres of excellence rather than largely being repositories for the grossly under talented.
I once taught a lad for 2 GCSEs who proved incapable of passing those - or indeed any others. It did not stop a university offering him a degree course within 3 years(which was completed). He was certainly not the 'late developer' we hear so much about.
Nobody with 'A' level grades of less than our currently dumbed down 'B' grades should ever have any financial support.
Those of above this level should be given bursaries that they can actually live on.
Genuine competition for financial support or pay the full costs should be the norm.
