Guest speaker Cat Fletcher, president of the NUS addressed the higher education sector conference and discussed the problems student causes and the potential decline in the student population as a result of high fees.
She said there were less students going into certain courses as those professions were low paid and debts would take longer to repay. The removal of the fee cap in 2008 would mean universities would be able to charge what they like.
The conference then carried a motion opposing any increase in tuition fees. The motion acknowledged that all higher education unions were opposed to tuition fees, but recognised they were a fact of life.
The conference deplored the commercialisation of higher education that has followed the introduction of variable tuition fees. The lifting of the £3,000 course fees maximum in 2008 will make this situation worse and will discourage students from poorer families from studying at university.
The conference opposed any further increases in real terms of student tuition fees and called on the government to provide one third of fees, to reverse a 30 per cent decline in the salaries of higher education staff.
This point was stressed by delegate Fred Howard who said that, “any further increase in fees is unjustifiable and would increase the commercialisation of higher education.”
The motion called for Amicus to join Coalition 2010 and fully take part in appropriate organisations campaigning for a well-funded and well-resourced sector, accessible to all.
Other motions debated were on higher education funding and salaries, single table bargaining and the standards and qualifications of technical staff in universities.
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