Minister Would Let Universities Go Bust Over Immigration Policy?

[@candidaprout560]

Say Yes to international students. Be intelligent 🤓

[@octavianpopescu4776]

My best friend works with that, drawing international students to the UK (she also studied there) and she told me universities had to send emails to calm down students concerned about security in the UK after the Farage riots. I told her (jokingly) that she's basically working for genocide, drawing in victims to be massacred by the angry Brexists. I want her to know she's basically Hitler. 😀

[@JeeWeeD]

And THAT is the problem for them: students learn to think critically, and so know what bull- or batcr... people like this are spitting out

[@Ooze-cl5tx]

More and more international students pass the intelligence test and refuse to pay 4 times the fees for the extra harrasment.

[@bezza4271]

For a 3 year degree, an international student will put £100,000 into the UK economy ( £20000 per year tuition fees and the rest rent, food etc). They are generally young and fit so they don't use the health service, and the majority return home after study. It is absolute insanity to do anything to discourage students.

[@leod-sigefast]

And most live in tiny hall of residence accommodation or house or flat shares. I suppose even that is too much for the gammon to bear.

[@boywonder6659]

@@bezza4271 It’s sounds like a classic case of exploitation. The international students are being taken for a ride. A ride you shamefully encourage. You’re a disgrace.

[@ZoeSummers1701A]

They also take places (in preference) from native English students. They slow down lessons because of Language and cultural/religious bullshit and they refuse to integrate but instead get special preferences and privileges from the staff.

[@jamesrussel1133]

I totally agree. They must stop walking in fear of what the majority Tory press are going to say anyway over immigration.

[@jamesgreaves4467]

​@ZoeSummers1701A Yes, but then they usually pay substantially more for their courses, which helps the university and can be put to effectively subsidising other students, there's nearly always some rub.

[@furryelvis]

If you are going to let a university go bust, then what about letting water companies and banks go bust too?

[@geoffreyduckworth6062]

We did let Northern Rock bank go bust, so yes, especially water companies which can then be re-nationalised at little or zero cost to the tax-payer.

[@owenokane9643]

Not exactly a good comparison. Private water and energy companies supply millions of people, but private universities cater for a few hundred thousand and if they went bust, 90% of us wouldn't even notice. That's not me giving the thumbs up to water and energy companies because the majority of them are dire, but it would cost the taxpayer billions to take over their operations, and that's just a reality.

[@markwelch3564]

​@owenokane9643 why would it cost a lot of money to take over the assets of a bankrupt company?

[@markd1516]

@@owenokane9643 Ignorant comment. (i) it is very likely that redundancies of a few universities could begin a 'domino' effect, whereby the sector as a whole suffers - this has implications for a whole generation; (ii) most universities contribute greatly to local economies and their failure has effects for the towns and cities where they are located. You obviously don't really know what you're talking about, because you use the phrase 'private universities' - which is wrong apart from for a few (Buckingham, say) - universities are public institutions, albeit funded by fees; and you massively underestimate the number of students: HESA estimates the total UK student population at just over 2.8 *million* for 2021-22.

[@barnigranero5882]

Universities shouldn't "go bust" because they should NOT be businesses. They should be state owned so it should be impossible for that to happen.

[@emmaeltringham91]

Woman who thought 15 years ago she was too tainted through the expenses scandal to be put in the House of lords, gets put in the Lords, joins the Education Dept and follows Tory policies. How Labour have fallen.

[@gooner7331]

Labour has to throw some meat to the Tory/reform PLC base so that they still won't vote for them

[@stephenfowlie742]

Scotland yet again suffers at the hands of Westminster.

[@frankiehood7155]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✊

[@mandycouchbean]

Scrap Tory restrictions on International Students. It's a no brainer!!

[@knowlex3787]

We need integration system for those international students my ex girlfriend who was an Indian international student was stalked and sexually harassed in the student night clubs by other Indian international students, cause they treated the U.K. as if they were in India. This was a regular occurrence, india has an awful record on treatment for women so if u don’t do some sort of intro course saying that we don’t do that here it happens unreported

[@alerojas2952]

​@@knowlex3787uuuuugh Indians

[@casbot71]

​@@knowlex3787And this is relevant to the international student policy question how? FYI Women also get assaulted by British students, it's often someone in your own social group who's the perpetrator as they have the most opportunity.

[@mandycouchbean]

Spot on Max. Labour should look at this as an investment! ❤

[@grouchos_tash]

Madness. I work for a Russell group uni who rely on subsidising home student tuition with international student fees. Our international students are the kind of young people who live in luxury accommodation and ask if they can bring their Lamborghini on to campus, they’re not taking out of the local economy. Also, research based unis rely on collaboration with our international partners and experts.

[@paulsmith2855]

A tainted ex MP, horrible woman. University should me free for all UK residents.

[@billmitchell7904]

My son teaches English to foreign students. His intake for the next academic year has fallen because they don’t feel welcome here anymore. These are fit young people who aren’t going to be a drain on the NHS, and who will spend lots on their education!

[@Warrdyy91]

You see, you view them as fit young people while the smooth brains in our society view them as “fighting age males”. We’re cooked.

[@boywonder6659]

@@billmitchell7904 I think your son has been ripping them off and it’s now dawned on these foreign students that they are sick of being milked. You don’t need to pay a tutor you can learn it online. I did it was free.

[@mandycouchbean]

Scrap it Labour It's a no brainer!!

[@BrianCharlesThomas-dp9du]

But foreign students could end up being brilliant engineers or scientists or doctors who want to stay here benefitting the economy. What a crazy decision.

[@alexanderjones1265]

The contentious issue is student visa dependents (which were tightened on short postgraduate courses in January). This has correlated with a drop in student applications which universities are complaining about. The political will for this has come from student visa dependents being the largest group showing up in the immigration figures (unlike small boat crossings which are a much smaller fraction).

[@garygalt4146]

Became friends with a family about 15 years ago the husband was doing his masters engineering degree in Manchester his wife was in IT they loved living in Warrington had many friends. They wear t allowed to stay after so they went back to turkey. He is head of the engineering department and vice dean of the largest University in Turkey and she has become a very famous Artist. The boys are becoming very friendly polite young men. They are growing up so fast. Loosing them from our society has been our lose.

[@jujutrini8412]

Bigots don’t care.

[@mohammadsiddiqui3564]

Right, so they are ok with Universities closing or having to charge home students charge double the fees. Labour is digging a grave for themselves here.

[@harrismazari5484]

Lol jokes on you for thinking they were different to Tories with Sir Kier in charge. He literally kept saying he wasn't going to change much. I can tell you even now what will happen. Tories will keep going right and will win back the government. Labour will keep following them right. Until you have your own proper fascists' government. Then there will be political instability. This is going to happen within the next 4 (or maximum 5 election cycles). I hope I am wrong (because I loved my time in the UK as a student) and some how the youth decide to vote the lib dems or the greens into power and labour learn oh, they don't have to turn to right wing voters to get into power.

[@MartinJames389]

Baroness Liar of Expenses Fiddle in the County of Sister's Spare Bedroom should never have been restored to any sort of public office at all. Ah, but that was all 15 years ago and we're supposed to either too young to know about it or too old to remember by now. NO WE'RE NOT! OUT! OUT! OUT! Starmer looks very shabby indeed appointing people like this.

[@xcskidog6937]

100% agree

[@PaulFulton-o9u]

Was there not something about her charging the taxpayers for Porn her husband was watching in a hotel ?

[@MartinJames389]

@@PaulFulton-o9u Ah yes, now you remind me I vaguely recall that one, too. I must look it up. I mean the details, not the porn.

[@PaulFulton-o9u]

@@MartinJames389 😂😂😂😂

[@mandycouchbean]

We need International Students for economic growth!

[@geminienigma4421]

😅😅😅😅

[@Stewpot-p5l]

Our economy won’t grow because our scientists and engineers that invented great technology have left this crumbling nation

[@ganrimmonim]

Even if you're anti-immigration, I would have thought students would be one group you wanted. Help fund your universities, they don't buy up houses, spend money in local economy, if they have fun take good thoughts of the UK back with them. Of all people it's foreign students you should want.

[@jaysterling26]

You're essentially talking about soft power. I have had working knowledge if the Chevening scholarships. It's a UK government funded to 1000s of students. Essentially they are here as you described- study, leave & ( hopefully) think of UK for business/political opportunities. On both sides ( most , if not all, are obviously middle class ) they are not expected to become immigrants. Germany & Switzerland do not send as many people to universities. It's a ponzi scheme that needs to fall- lees choice & more costly ( me thinks) to the average student ( & less scholarships for UK students) than the U.S.., let alone other European countries.

[@harrismazari5484]

you kind of described me. I completed my bachelors and then enrolled in a masters program and then left in 2012. I still hold fond memories of the place and have been a follower of British politics because i feel part of the country (I mean I spent 5 years of my youth there).

[@dattrax]

Can’t let a bank go bust, but an institution full of students and staff, who gives a toss

[@stevebartley8902]

I despair. 🙄

[@AmandaJAart]

Although I'm glad to see the back of the Tories, Labour's economic decisions are extremely disappointing, yet just as expected. They have a real chance to completely change things, but they're continuing with really bad policies, with a misplaced notion that a country's finances are just like those of a household and some weird fear of taxing the rich a tiny bit more. We shall see what the budget brings, but I'm not hopeful that they're going to make any meaningful changes.

[@audreymcgready4329]

I am pleased to say i did not vote for any of them and i have never voted Tory. I am ashamed that so many Scots did. Labour liars are what they are. They offered us nothing before the vote and they still offer nothing.

[@keithhardy8513]

Jacqui Smith, Another "Failed Politician and Blairite" !! I thought that we had seen the back of her after the "expenses scandal." 😂😂😂

[@susanwaite1187]

Husbands porn on expenses !!!

[@doctordeej]

Totally wrong. And I’m a Labour member and voter. As promised when challenged when I criticised the Tories. I WILL call out my party when I think things a wrong.

[@fran-js8ve]

British university fees for British students are the highest in Europe by far, therefore why should they rely on foreign students ? It doesn't make sense.

[@AvocadoAfficionado]

Look at how well paid senior uni management are now and you'll find your answer

[@nickwortmann566]

Without international students, many universities will be toast .

[@EightFrancs]

I forgot Jacqui Smith was back. Wretched.

[@peterrat100]

Let foreign students in for goodness’ sake. They want to come here and work hard and if we’re lucky they’ll stay here and work hard.

[@spursgog835]

She went to Oxford and never paid a penny for her tuition.

[@sly1968si]

Just take foreign students out of the immigration figures.

[@roseanncampbell3168]

They were, but the Tories included them by saying that lots of them outstanding their student visa after they finish their studies so it's justified. What they didn't say is the reason why they say if because most are offered jobs meaning they are qualified, skilled and are a net benefit

[@paulfranklin8636]

I worked in an FE College in Wales, we had students from the UAE, they used to pay much more than double the fees UK students paid, they were border with local families, they were well behaved (if they weren't they were dealt with quite harshly by the group leader and their parents) some even cooking for their host families. You can imagine the kind of wealth these lads had, 17yr olds walking around with wads of £50 notes. Their money was a huge benefit to the College and the local community....not that tory xenophobia cared.

[@donincognito189]

This was a daft policy under the Tories and Labour are daft to continue with it. Not only do foreign students subsidise UK students, they also have to pay an NHS surcharge regardless of whether they need the NHS while they are here, so in effect most of them subsidise the NHS as well. They spend money in the UK economy while they are here but take very little from the state in return. Driving them away also diminishes the UK's 'soft power', where bright foreign students return home with a positive experience of studying in the UK and go on to create business links with the UK or go into government jobs in their home country and retain a favourable view of the UK and its institutions. Utterly unfathomable why Labour are sticking to this 🙄

[@jamesmilne2455]

Could students be taken out of immigration figures when they made up a third of the figures?

[@satzone4241]

Its crazy how people who back this do not understand that those students are literally paying 1000s to study in the Uk. Not just fees, but accommodation, groceries etc, so contribute to the economy. These student come from familes who are wealthy enough to fund their studies, so can send their kids to other countries like China, middle east etc. Now the universities are going to have to find away to fill this gap, and my prediction is uni fees will only go up.

[@pauli2169]

UK just has a village mentality. It is not going to work in the real world, how long will it be before they find out?

[@SI-vb7hd]

England has this mentality, not the same in Scotland.

[@ruthguthrie1099]

Not the UK. It's England. The same England that is dragging Scotland down to its level starting with the changes in winter fuel payments.

[@Ooze-cl5tx]

@@ruthguthrie1099 its the same england that scotland voted to remain subservient to. and you even voted overwhelmingly for the unionist parties in the last GE , so all arguments for indepence are a thing of the past. Just dont forget to ask "how high" when england tells you to jump.

[@yt.personal.identification]

And this is why the saying "cut off your nose just to spite your face" exists.

[@adblocker276]

Has her husband stopped charging tax payers for pay-per-view adult videos?

[@crayontom9687]

I had to turn Channel 4 News off after seeing Jacqui Smith. What the hell are Labour doing?

[@northred4930]

How did this crook get back into politics ?

[@keithhardy8513]

Because she's a "Blairite" !! 😂😂

[@hachi.]

@@keithhardy8513oh give it a rest

[@markd1516]

I think the real issue here is that Labour are terrified of being seen to be soft on immigration, and are willing to throw universities under the bus in order to protect their reputation for toughness in that area. In other words, it's a story of how the far right continues to control the narrative in this country. It's disappointing indeed to hear a Labour minister be so disingenuous as to blithely describe universities as 'operationally independent' - which is of course technically true, but with a level of state meddling via the OFS and capping of fees that is the very opposite of independence.

[@rosemarycuthbert4623]

Such a short sighted xenophobic policy

[@ajama1335]

It's not Labour's fault that the general public have become a bunch of xenophobes.

[@crayontom9687]

Labour will never learn. You don’t pander to the right

[@DemonDethchase]

​​@@ajama1335that didn't stop Labour from blowing the same xenophobic dog whistles for far right votes though, as the likes of Reform, what with Starmer calling to kick out the Bangladeshis from Britain.

[@igboman2860]

I studied in England (Engineering) and had only 3 months to get a job or leave. Australian granted me a post study visa for studying Engineering in England. Needless to say that i am a contributing member to the Australian society

[@davidjames2083]

*I just knew that stuff like this was going to happen Max. A Blairite remould like Jacqui Smith isn't fit to be left in charge of a fish & chip van!* 😠😡🤬

[@patrickdegenaar9495]

Some important factual notes: (1) overseas students pay tyoically £25-35k plus spend £10-20k in local communities. (2) if kids come over them the state has to pay £6k per child to schools. (3) The biggest change is that students can only get a job in the UK if they get a job paying >£38k. (4) most Asian students are on the first flight home and have no intemtion of staying in the UK. It is (3) that is making the biggest difference.

[@kingayman5225]

Universities are independent organisations, we just set their prices, funding support, regulations, and intake rules. And also set targets and challenges for them. But apart from that, they are independent 😂😂

[@birdinthebush]

Ideology over pragmatism. Xenophobia over British needs. Tory solution: an unachievable wish list. What a nice story!

[@Ooze-cl5tx]

if you are done with students , next should be tourists. I hear they all too often bring family with them too. LabTories need to step up 🤣🤣🤣

[@AgentGreyFox]

Not just double fees, sometimes tripple. Families that come on those visas have no recourse to public funds either, so what's the problem? Many of them work and pay taxes.

[@rosemarycuthbert4623]

Higher education is an export. This policy by the Tories scuppered it

[@mandycouchbean]

Van Man Talks had the perfect response for dealing with Farage❤

[@kindmulberry7196]

He's pretty cool tbf

[@jonypo928]

Why on Earth is Jacqui Smith still a thing?

[@SheilaBloom.]

The most shocking aspect of this is that labour voted in favour of this legislation

[@madaknevarski6478]

is this another one pulling the ladder up behind them?

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

I dont understand what the government is doing here as we are already out of EU.

[@scubadoo5263]

Red meat for the gammons makes no sense , except to pander to the xenophobes

[@robertmaitland09]

Appeasing the gammon.

[@cmck1777]

Responsible for your own income… but you have to obey our insane rules on immigration. Cheers. Thanks. …flip me

[@HEKVT]

If overseas students can afford the international fees I imagine they're not doing too bad with money, and if they bring dependents over during the time of their study, surely they'll just be spending their money within the UK?

[@paulvsmith]

Universities were told to compete in a market, and then have had one of the main resources for competing in that market partly removed. The OfS is useless and cannot meaningfully help the sector in the way that Jacqui Smith suggests. In large conurbations - just a few - HEI failures might be absorbed by neighbouring universities. In towns where the university is the biggest employer, supporting any number of other businesses and facilities, a university going to the wall would be disastrous.

[@Unclemaths]

Student dependent are young, does not get any benefit, pay visa fee, NHS subcharge fee, if they work pay taxes and fill temporary vacancies left by loss of freedom of movement. Not only that majority of student and dependent leave after their course.

[@melluques8475]

“We are looking for the options” they have decided and that’s it🤷‍♀️😔🕊🙏🏻

[@lolwalters2936]

an example of capitalism will eat itself... commodification of education can only end like this.

[@alanscoz8799]

Is this a Tory government?

[@rinkydinkpanther3367]

Jacqui Smith never repaid a penny of the £116,000 which she dishonestly claimed in second home allowances by citing her sister's spare bedroom as her main home. The chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life described her actions as "near fraudulent" yet Starmer saw fit to reward her with a life peerage so that she could be parachuted into ministerial office.

[@jethrotull2142]

International students pay well over twice especially considering HUGE visa fees,NHS surcharges and more on top of huge tuition fees so for Labour to say "The way in which we sell our country........" smacks of bigotry. This woman featured here earlier was Home Secretary under Labour and she has undertones of "my country is better than yours" I can clearly evince from her posturing. Looks like local students will have to ante up here as the policies of Labour even the old Labour Party was not pro-immigration at all

[@AvocadoAfficionado]

Universities were effectively privatised and allowed to go wild and set their own salaries. ChiefEx got loaded and academics, students, and the collective knowledge of the country got screwed. Unis pivoted to foreign students to keep the gravy train going and now they're upset that they might have to be a bit more fiscally responsible since they spaffed all their money when times were good, forgot they had to balance the books on their own and are now coming back for a handout. Let them go bust. If you survived for 300 years before you brought in the management consultants to systematically extract as much from the system as possible it's fairly obvious where the blame should lie.

[@EbenBransome]

Cambridge makes vast amounts of money from its spin off businesses, into the tens of £billions. We need more Cambridges and fewer foreign student degree mills.

[@andrewcalladine2507]

Get rid of the silly rules where people can't bring their families and dependants. The current rules are cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

[@James-r9f4u]

My phd funding (at a good uni) in medical statistics got cancelled a few months ago so this university problem is going to affect our research in key areas going forward

[@James-r9f4u]

I'm not 100% sure companies look at locals first. The problem is corporate greed. A lot of companies don't want to pay to train even very highly qualified people in a new skill when they can just get someone from abroad to do it.

[@mandycouchbean]

Hi Max Good Morning Everyone ❤

[@Captain-l-12p]

Morning Mandy 🙂

[@brockit79]

Government skied off the rails...

[@aelthric]

But Max people warned you that your love affair with New Labour was a love affair with New Tories and now when they prove they are just Red Tories you sound disenchanted And shocked???

[@DavisJ-ln6fw]

Nope

[@hefeydd_]

You know I don't know what makes these people tick. They must get up one morning and over their morning cup of tea or coffee they must think. what can I say today to make myself look a complete prat and pi** off the public at the same time? I know that it makes universities go bankrupt, as someone who’s attended university what I do know is overseas students who attend university in the UK make up a considerable large sum of the income to universities in the UK and economic growth. So what she is saying would this also include the London School of Economics, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, University College London, University of Cambridge and Durham University?

[@patrickokeeffe539]

Had a student in Spain he wanted to study in the UK. Could not due to many reasons. It too late for the coming year. Better for the EU Universities.

[@richardjames3022]

Labour are turning blue as far as education is concerned. Previous Labour governments would be turning in their graves (if inanimate objects can turn). One of the greatest achievement that Wilson sights is the founding of the OU and Blair the expansion of university education!!!!

[@JSmith19858]

Blair didn't expand anything. They just turned Polytechnic Colleges in to Universities, diluted the meaning and quality of a UK degree, and charged for it

[@DrRusty5]

Washing their hands of a situation they are creating. Can you imagine the knock on effect to the economy if thousands of students have their education stopped.

[@ianfaulkner3844]

As the weeks go by, I’m more and more pleased that I’m not a Labour voter.

[@frankiehood7155]

Spot on Max it’s about time that Britain stops this “cherry picking” in life and starts to welcome people “around the world” so they can advance in their education in our universities !! 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✊

[@michaelshanahan4042]

Yes max l am not happy with this I didn’t vote labour for this.😊

[@andrewrose7800]

Didn't she have to resign due to fiddling expenses, whilst her then husband was just fiddling.

[@alanrumble7238]

Well said Max. Why are Labour listening to racists?

[@plagiarisedwords]

I do think the higher education business has become problematic. Shrinking that area wouldnt necessarily hurt young people (UK and foreign). A lot of jobs that used to be available post a-level now requrie a degree. Young peolple get into debt and pay higher taxes effectively for life. Its a bit like people standing up in a theatre. When one person does it, they get a better view but once everyone does it, the view is the same but now no one is comfortable. I'd be in favour of schemes that incentivise companies to take on fresh graduates (e.g. 3 year contracts, 1 year heavily subsidised 2 years at normal pay, graduate cannot leave without penalty during 3 years). If this is open to foreign students then we can also attract a different profile. Talented but not necessarily rich. Right now foreign students are more often than not rich kids

[@Lifelongloser]

Far too sensible and nuanced a comment for this site. Try The Times.

[@stephenbain389]

She sounds like she's waffling

[@britany1456]

1. Labour are continuing to inflate foreign students with dependencies. The vast majority of students do not bring their families with them!!! Mature foreign students (postgraduates) may well bring their family but its a tiny minority. Why are they continuing this line? When this is one of the positive forms of immigration that most people in the uk (i.e., non racists!) would welcome. 2. Foreign students prop up the current universities financially with extortionate fees, they spend their money in their university cities and towns local economy. To let a university go bust, doesn't just affect the students but will hit hard local small businesses. 3. Labour would rather push xenophobic policies than properly fund our universities. They have no ideas for improving graduate job markets or improving the social mobility of disadvantaged young people who go to university. The maintenance grants are pitiful and are putting many students into cost of living crisises. 4. Remember when sir kid starver wanted house of lords reform? Laughable, now he uses the same mechanism to force upon us this untalented expense- fraudster Jacqui Smith. 5. People voted in red tories, i feel no guilt as a green voter. But the rest of you let this fraudulent labour party off by not holding them to account. Once the easier changes have been made (strikes, getting rid of the Rwanda scheme etc) people are finally going to see that Starmer and Reeves offer no real change just further austerity which will only lead to the continued rise of inequality. Finally, these policies are being implemented by people who went to university for free. The irony of it all.

[@abinadabagbo1603]

She's not making sense at all!

[@SennethLawrence]

As Brian Moore used to say on rugby commentary "That's dumb".

[@Ned-s8r]

Why are foreign students allowed to stay in the UK for study and don't go home after Universities go bust because they are financially incompetent

[@lennyw99]

You weren’t one of those out on the streets a couple of weeks ago, were you? Just wondering.

[@keithparlour2686]

When my daughter was in" uni,and she did 3 separate times on courses there",she paid,sry (me and my wife paid) for the 3courses and all my girl was asking about was WHY DOES IT COST SO MUCH WHEN WE ARE NOT IN THE UNI ALL WEEK AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT ITS JUST A COUPLE OF HRS AND THEN WE ARE TOLD TO GO AND SOURCE ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ON GOOGLE,I can remember at one time she was only in the uni building for 1hr out of the full day,EDUCATION SHOULD BE FREE FOR ADULTS JUST AS ITS FREE FOR KIDS,IF YOU WANT PRIVATE EDUCATION THEN PAY FOR IT,THESE PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES ARE JUST LEGALISED TAX DODGING COMPANIES

[@theresoluteone]

Labour promised no unfunded spending in their election manifesto. This would be unfunded spending. Another case where we have to wait for the budget, before we know what they're actually going to do.

[@britany1456]

What about the unfunded policy of sending billions in arms to Ukraine. Labour's fiscal rules are idiotic, just like you!

[@timonsolus]

How would it be unfunded spending?

[@markwelch3564]

Students literally fund themselves, contributing massively to the local economy around the university This is the opposite of unfunded. This is actively pushing funds off the table!

[@candidaprout560]

Good morning Max and all here ☕. Once more Tories were wrong.

[@grahammitchell8524]

Politicians have worshipped the free market and used it for their own political gains.....If they want to educate foreign student fine. We can't have students bringing dependents. I saw Stephen Pound, a labour MP, say one of his constituents managed to bring 27 dependents in with him when he came to study, madness.

[@simonrangeley]

Grown up in certain policies which is good to see but things like this show there are still silly little children running certain things. Stop pandering to the racists and bigots.

[@garyh1572]

Sorry Max, but just like schools, universities now pay their top bosses far too much.

[@markd1516]

Too much in what sense? Presumably you mean, to be affordable? Let's test this by taking an example: Cambridge University income for last year was 2.5 billion and its expenses were approx 2.3 billion. VC salary is 398K. This is 0.01592% of the former - a drop in the ocean, and completely irrelevant, in terms of the institution's overall finances. However symbolically offensive it may be, it has *no bearing* on the institution's sustainability. The real story is that fees, which barely covered the FEC of undergraduate education in any case, have been capped since before the pandemic despite considerable inflation; and that universities have been encouraged by previous governments to overinvest in capital expenditure (facilities, shiny buildings, etc) to 'compete' in a 'market'.

[@Turtle_Zed]

There are far too many Universities chasing fewer and fewer students. Their choices include closing completely, partially closing or becoming research universities rather than teaching one.

[@KelculesIII]

If this isn't blatant xenophobia/racism I don't know what is.

[@RankinMsP]

This is a sad offshoot of the riots.

[@WarrenPeaceOG]

As the developing world gets computers, networking and an unprecedented expansion of education to billions that will radically transform the world, UK govt divests from education, much as they divest from all social institutions🙄

[@ilokivi]

If the Labour party wants to be regarded as having a grasp of reality and respect for the facts, it needs to recognise the damage which this policy continues to inflict on UK universities and culture and correct it. Else it becomes just another rabble of ideologues.

[@andylucas1175]

Smith needs to go back to school, at the moment she's unable to add 1+1 together and make 2.

[@tilley6351]

It’s TRIPLE for foreign students

[@knowlex3787]

We need an integration system for those international students my ex girlfriend who was an Indian international student was stalked on the street and around campus and sexually harassed in the student night clubs by other Indian international students, cause they treated the U.K. as if they were in India. This was a regular occurrence, india has an awful record on treatment for women so if u don’t do some sort of intro course saying that we don’t do that here it happens unreported. You get the crimes you import IF you don’t set the boundaries first and strict rules about deportation if abused. The main issue tbh is that in the Indian community sexual assault is normalised so it goes unreported. With India they litterally have a cultural problem with how they treat women.

[@jethrotull2142]

I think there are far more pressing issues for international students than "harassment safety or molestation" of women I believe which includes visa restrictions and requirements how about focus on those instead?!

[@knowlex3787]

@@jethrotull2142 for the international students maybe because it’s normalised. It is a moral duty for the U.K. to provide a safe haven for women of all ethnicities, to walk the street or go to places without having to experience groping or stalking. Trying to undermine those experiences is troubling and something you would hear from the far right in India or uneducated village people who say you deserve to be raped if you have wholes in your trousers. An actual bjp politicians response. It also effects U.K. students with certain Indians targeting European ‘white women’ from my uni. So a generalised integration system for international students I believe would be best, because it’s a cultural issue in their country which means if you tried to restrict people who did it you would have to restrict half of Indian men. It’s from the programmes they watch, that normalise stalking women then getting the girl, or slapping women then the girl falls in love. In India a big problem is also the women who normalise the abuse. So I find it quite repugnant that you would suggest that it isn’t an issue cause it is and should be an issue for all regardless of race or ethnicity. If you come to the U.K. you will have the freedom to Rome without being grope. to the immigrants who oppose that leave.

[@zedzaheer]

All those heads of schools will have to start to earn those salaries!