Andy Burnham could learn a few lessons from a previous Labour government in the pre-privatisation era on how to tackle water shortages, writes KEITH FLETT
Latest editorial
Scottish universities – for education not for profit
Students are being treated as cash cows for unis and landlords, and with ever-rising fees and rents, no wonder mental health problems are rising too, says LAUREN HARPER
North East Volunteers for Liberty plan to mark a double anniversary in October for local heroes who stood firm against tyranny, writes TONY FOX
India’s monsoon is running below normal overall, yet extreme rainfall has already caused deadly flooding in Kerala, explains LIGIN JOSEPH
Renewed illusions in social democratic reformism are sprouting as a result of Andy Burnham’s rhetoric, but material conditions are already intruding into the debate, argues NICK WRIGHT
The US is hell-bent on dismantling the International Criminal Court as part of its assault on global legal systems, but others also have valid reasons to seek its demise. BEN CHACKO provides the analysis
I’LL SOON graduate from a Scottish university, and, having come from a background where neither parent attended university, I know I am incredibly lucky — but what I don’t feel lucky for is the student experience. In typical student fashion I’d like to take this opportunity to moan about it.
While the course fees for Scottish universities are free, living costs are not; when we graduate with clouds of debt hanging over us, can we really call this “free education”?
Even then the loans do not come close to covering living costs. When I started university the minimum Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) payment was roughly £475 a month and by now it has risen to £600. This year it will rise to £800 a month. So over five years it has almost doubled, but considering rents have risen further beyond affordable levels (a third of income would be reasonable, but most spend far more), can we seriously call this an improvement? It’s not nearly enough.
Similar stories
The Defence Universities Alliance is a bit to co-opt higher education into the wider drive to war — we should resist as earlier generations of scientists did, argue say ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT of SCIENCE AND SOCIETY
CLAUDIA WEBBE argues that Burnham’s U-turn on tackling greedy landlords has let the country down
Cuts are sweeping campuses as cash-strapped universities slash staff and politicians fail to act on a growing funding emergency. VINCE MILLS reports