To wonder if these riots will change anything?

[poshsinglemum]

I think it's getting totally out of hand. I think that HE should be accesable but that's what the students loan company is for-no? i have no money; I have a student loan. When I start to earn enough again I shall continue to pay it back.
I have no problem with demos but attacking a car etc is not helping the cause.

Higher education has only been free for a short period of history.

Before that, people paid.

I predicted thirty years ago that it would come to this, and that was not taking the recession into the equation.

It simply is not viable to assume that all children should go to university and the premise is extremely bad for the economy.

We now have a generation of kids who are not clever enough to fulfill their aspirations, but are averse to cleaning toilets. That is not a good balance in any economic society.

I blame the aspiration towards Uni as one of the reasons why the country's in the mess it's in.

The problem is that people who run this country, past and present, think that the way they succeeded is the way to succeed (hence a push for university). They patronise the idea that you can be successful without being academically gifted.

I don't think every one should go to uni. I do think that educational snobbery is damaging.

The protesters weren't complaining about the fact that it's not feasible for everyone to go uni due to the fees. It's the fact that even if you are clever enough to go, you can't if you can't afford it. If you're rich you don't have to worry about debt. If you're very very poor you don't either. In the middle? You're screwed.

Our country doesn't value non-academic professions. It's all about university education. Until that changes, with government help, I can't see how things can improve.

So I think we're of a similar mindset in parts!

Yes, I agree with that post, Iggly.

Rather well put, even if I do say so myself.

Cucumber sandwich?