The Conservative Party proposes scrapping “rip-off” university degrees to fund 100,000 new apprenticeships annually, sparking significant debate over educational priorities and economic outcomes. Here’s the full story.
Latest Conservative Policy
Following the disastrous launch of the Conservative general election campaign, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced his latest policy to attempt to claw back votes from Labour, who are still in the seemingly unassailable and enviable position of being 20 points ahead in the polls.
“Rip-Off Degrees”
Sunak has announced that, in an attempt to overhaul the higher education system in England, the Conservatives, if elected, would scrap what he called “rip-off degrees” and redirect funds to create 100,000 new skilled apprenticeships each year.
Not “Right or Fair”
Following the announcement of the policy, Schools Minister Damian Hinds declined to suggest which degrees he considered to be a “rip off,” saying it would not be “right or fair” for students currently studying those degrees to be told they were essentially wasting their time.
“Letting Young People Down”
Sunak stated, “University is great and it makes a fantastic option for young people, but it’s not the only option… And what we do know is that there are university degrees that are letting young people down.”
“Low Quality” Degrees
Instead, he said that the Conservatives would replace “low-quality” degrees—those with high dropout rates, poor job prospects, or low future earnings potential—with apprenticeships.
Close Underperforming Courses
To implement this policy, the Conservatives plan to empower the Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of higher education in England, with greater authority to identify and close underperforming university courses.
£910 Million
The policy proposes reallocating funds from discontinued university courses to apprenticeship programs. The Conservative Party estimates that scrapping the “worst-performing” degrees could save approximately £910 million by 2030.
£885 Million
These savings would be used to fund the creation of 100,000 apprenticeships annually, with an estimated cost of £885 million by the end of the next Parliament.
“Debt and Little Else”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan stated, “When Labour were in power they pushed an arbitrary target to get half of young people to university, creating a boom in low-quality degrees – leaving far too many students saddled with debt and little else.”
“Contempt for Apprenticeships”
She continued, “The choice is clear. Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour party who have contempt for apprenticeships, or Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives who have a clear plan to give young people the best start to their careers.”
“Failing to Deliver”
Labour’s shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, laughed off the Conservative’s proposal, stating, “Why on earth should parents and young people believe they’ll create training opportunities now, after 14 years of failing to deliver opportunities for young people and the skills needed to grow our economy?”
“Get Our Economy Growing Again”
She continued, “Labour will get our economy growing again by gearing apprenticeships to young people and delivering a new growth and skills levy to provide the skills businesses need. We’ll create a new generation of technical excellence colleges, working with employers and our world-class universities, to get people into good jobs in their area.”
“Urgent Reform Is Needed”
The Liberal Democrats’ education spokesperson, Munira Wilson, blamed the Conservatives for breaking the apprentice system and said, “urgent reform is needed.”
“Shockingly Low Pay”
She continued, “The shockingly low pay for those on apprenticeships will remain, doing nothing to encourage more people to take apprenticeships up or tackle soaring dropout rates.”
Crackdown
The proposed crackdown on “rip-off” degrees has elicited concerns from educators and academic institutions.
Arts and Humanities Courses
Critics argue that the policy could disproportionately impact arts and humanities courses, often perceived as less directly linked to employment outcomes.
“Only the Richest Students”
When Sunak trialled this policy in July 2023, Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, stated, “This shows how wrong Tory Government priorities are. If they get their way, only the richest students would be able to study cultural subjects.”
“Deny Working Class People”
She continued, “Sunak was able to study philosophy, the Tory Government should stop trying to deny working class people the same opportunities.”
“Poor Metric”
Similarly, Chloe Field of the National Union of Students criticised the use of earnings to evaluate which degrees were worthwhile, stating it is “a poor metric, because things like race, class, gender, and disability have a much more significant impact on people’s wages.”
Boost Employment Opportunities
The Conservative Party’s plan to replace “rip-off” degrees with apprenticeships in an attempt to enhance the value of education and boost employment opportunities has been met with sustained pushback since its announcement.
Significant Opposition
While the policy has been lauded for its attempt to improve and expand the UK’s apprenticeship scheme, it faces significant opposition, particularly from those within the arts and cultural spheres, who worry that their degrees will be singled out for cancellation.
Uncertain Effect
However, it remains to be seen whether this latest proposal will be significant enough to help the Conservatives catch up to Labour in the polls.
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