My tale of me - Chris Jenkinson

The recent announcement that two-thirds of vice-chancellors across the country are lobbying for an increase in the cap on tuition fees is shocking and regressive. What’s worse is that the vice-chancellors are doing it anonymously. It isn’t just a small increase - it’s at least £4000 a year, with many arguing for £20,000 a year and one in ten demanding the ability to set any level. I don’t understand how more debt for students is going to be good for this country, especially in times of recession - students could be graduating with over £30,000 of debt.

It’s ridiculous that vice-chancellors are hiding behind anonymity and making these kind of statements. I want a debate on higher education funding - I don’t believe that higher education is funded well enough -  but I want it to be open and transparent. I want to discuss why universities don’t receive enough resources to pay their staff a decent salary, or why class sizes are out of control, and why there aren’t enough books in the library. I don’t want it to be restricted to ‘how high should the cap be’, or done in the shadows.

I want a debate - but not this debate.