Elite university places go to EU students

I have plagiarised most of this from the Daily Telegraph, as I am too incensed to write it own in my own words. The reason it sickens me so much is that my granddaughter is hoping to get a place a Uni next year but according to this I don't think it is going to happen.

More than 5,000 undergraduate places at twenty of the most sought-after UK institutions went to candidates from other European Union (EU) countries last year – an increase of 32 per cent in three years
EU students count towards the admissions cap imposed on universities by the Government which means they are directly competing with British students for a fixed number of places. Experts are predicting a severe shortage of university places this summer, with as many as 200,000 young people turned away.

The UK has more students from other EU countries coming here than any other country does," said Bahram Bekhradnia, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute.

"They count towards the cap and qualify for loans to cover tuition fees. However, the mechanism for getting the money back from them is much less certain.

If anybody wants to read the full article it is here,

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/uni...U-students.html

Phil

Phil
I sympathise with all the British (sorry its only English isn't it, as Scots and Welsh are different) students who are trying for a place and see this story. I do however find it a bit strange that of the people quoted in the article, one (Bekradnia) was born in Iran, and that is not even in the EU; and the other (Steve Patriacha, former head of William Hulme's Grammar School, in Manchester) gave up his Manchester job to get a "Consultancy" job (& i think you know my opinions about consultants) in Vienna. So one came from outside the EU , and presumably took up a university place that could have been filled a Briton, and the other got as reputation in this country and then hopped it for an overpaid job "consulting" job abroad telling EU people (amongst other things) how to get to uni in this country.

What can you say Phil,the whole thing is like some sick joke.

Mike,

I can't understand Europeans they all have nothing nice to say about us, when they say anything about us it is only to insult us. They think that we and our country are rubbish, yet they buy up British businesses and essential services like wildfire and fill our universities with students.

Phil

Perhaps we really do live in a poxy lawless crapheap and we really are a vicious unfriendly bunch of lazy thugs, our main problem is that we don't live up to our reputation and let just anyone come in and walk all over us.

The last time I worked at Birmingham Uni it seemed that the Physics Department was populated almost exclusivley by Chineeses students

That might be something to do with the fact that a lot of schools don't teach (much) Physics & Chemistry, only "Science", as it is considered that too many might fail ( sorry pupils don't fail nowadays do they, they get a U grade for writing their name) and push the school's rating down.

Posted by Voltman

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Perhaps we really do live in a poxy lawless crapheap and we really are a vicious unfriendly bunch of lazy thugs, our main problem is that we don't live up to our reputation and let just anyone come in and walk all over us.

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Don't hold back Volty say what you mean.

I was dumbfounded to find that my granddaughter (well her parents) are paying £2400 for her to attend college this coming year so its not just the Universities

Phil

Maybe I can have some of my tax back. because I thought that's what that was for?

I have two female relatives one has gone to Preston Uni to study photography . Her gran told me the lectures last 12 hours per week and courses were availible at Leicester and Stafford , Which she could have travelled . My neice is going to either Bristol or Preston next year to study drama this course is also availible at Leicester . I can only conclude they are off on a three year jolly and wonder if these should be degree subjects.

Bernie

I have to agree that a lot of these courses could be taught at the local college, and therefore leave room for those who want to study courses that can't be studied at the local college. My granddaughter wants to be a Vet she has already been told is one of the hardest University courses you can do. It is a six year course and the nearest Uni to Birmingham that does it is Nottingham. She plans to commute every day if she gets a place to try to save money.

It's heartbreaking to see her begin to realise that something she has wanted and worked for since she was eight years of age that perhaps she is not going to be able to realise. After we had told her not to worry about money because we would get it for her somehow. Now at the last moment she might not get a place because it has been taken by a foreign student. She could have accepted the fact that a brighter English student had been accepted before her, but this is not easy to swallow.

Phil

Hi Phil there are obviously bona fide degree courses a vetinary course being one of them and as you say a very difficult one but universities appear to me to have upgraded college courses purely to bring money in. These arty courses don't appear to me to be of much use unless they are combined with a teaching course , teaching is the only prospect to earn money if you have one of these degrees as far as I can see . I believe a teacher training course is another two years at least and thats if you have the aptitude to do it , in short I would pull the funding for these " hobby " courses and students would have to pay the full cost or do a combined teaching course
Bernie

I'm in general agreement with both of you, though I would make one point. Bristol certainly used to be really good for drama, and thirty or more years ago your niece would have been justified going there rather than Leicester. I don't know if the position is the same now.I have rumbled on about ridiculous degrees in golf , football management and similar rubbish before, so i won't bore you any more about that.
mike