The Guardian view on universities: public confidence in degrees is wavering – ministers should shore it up | Editorial
Unfair changes to student loans and concerns about job prospects must be weighed against the life-changing potential of education Is going to university financially worthwhile? New research on graduate incomes is unlikely to help the beleaguered sector’s reputation. Even though most benefit from an earnings premium, worth around £100,000 on average over a lifetime (after tax and student loan repayments), the finding that one in four people end up worse off proves that there are no guarantees. The premium has shrunk by around 30% compared with forecasts from six years ago. The study from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) could be viewed as a vindication of the latest British Social Attitudes survey. It found that the proportion of people who think a degree is not worth the time and money has risen from 14% to 34% in 20 years. While the research predated Rachel Reeves’s most recent, unfair worsening of the terms on which graduates repay loans, it arguably reflected reduced confidence in the government’s commitment to protect the graduate earnings premium, as well as anxiety about salary prospects and the economy more broadly. Continue reading…
Unfair changes to student loans and concerns about job prospects must be weighed against the life-changing potential of education Is going to university financially worthwhile? New research on graduate incomes is unlikely to help the beleaguered sector’s reputation. Even though most benefit from an earnings premium, worth around £100,000 on average over a lifetime (after tax and student loan repayments), the finding that one in four people end up worse off proves that there are no guarantees. The premium has shrunk by around 30% compared with forecasts from six years ago. The study from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) could be viewed as a vindication of the latest British Social Attitudes survey. It found that the proportion of people who think a degree is not worth the time and money has risen from 14% to 34% in 20 years. While the research predated Rachel Reeves’s most recent, unfair worsening of the terms on which graduates repay loans, it arguably reflected reduced confidence in the government’s commitment to protect the graduate earnings premium, as well as anxiety about salary prospects and the economy more broadly. Continue reading…
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hirekDons call for Cambridge leaders to take blame for Jason Arday appointment
Exclusive: Academics call for inquiry, saying university must be held accountable for ‘grotesque racism unleashed’ The University of Cambridge’s leaders deserve blame for the “grotesque racism unleashed” by Jason Arday’s appointment as professor, according to academics calling for the university to hold an independent inquiry. The Guardian understands that senior dons at Cambridge are circulating a joint letter calling for an inquiry into the processes and circumstances around Arday being given the position, with many suggesting the university wanted a “quick fix” to improve the diversity of its staff. Continue reading…
hirekThe Guardian view on mental health: the new secretary of state should make it a priority | Editorial
Parity for people with physical and psychological ailments has been promised for years. New neighbourhood clinics are a step in the right direction The rise in children and young people with mental health problems makes this week’s announcement of a new network of community clinics in England particularly welcome. A&E departments have recorded an increase in difficult-to-manage symptoms including aggression and hallucinations. New specialist walk-in mental health services should take some of the pressure off. The bringing forward of a deadline for ending out-of-area acute placements, and a pledge to reduce waiting times for children, are also positive. Declining mental health was among the key themes of Alan Milburn’s interim report on young people and work. It is a big factor behind the rise in claims for illness and disability benefits. Children’s anxiety and other psychological difficulties are also among the many challenges facing schools. Recent years have seen steep rises in emotionally based school avoidance, as well as in autism and neurodiversity. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading…
hirekWriting skills are getting more attention in school
Each year, we get a pretty good idea of how kids across the country are doing with their math and reading skills. But writing? That’s a different story. Few states test students on how well they can write, and the country hasn’t published national writing test results for elementary-age children since 2002. Regardless, experts say […] The post Writing skills are getting more attention in school appeared first on The Hechinger Report.