HIGHER EDUCATION (No.2)

Early day motion 2953, tabled 16 April 2012 by Paul Blomfield (Labour). Signed by 31 members.

<p>That this House is concerned by the Government's decision to postpone indefinitely the planned Higher Education Bill; calls for an urgent debate on the future of higher education policy; notes the economic, social and wider value of our publicly-funded university system which has a long-established worldwide reputation for quality; further notes with great concern that further changes to higher education policy, including the opening up of degree-awarding powers and public funding to for-profit education providers, might be enacted without an opportunity for full parliamentary scrutiny and transparency or the input of the views of students, young people and staff; further calls for the provision of maximum opportunities for public scrutiny of the Government's White Paper proposals, Students at the Heart of the System, which have still not been afforded the opportunity to be voted upon by this House; further calls for a debate on the availability of student support, postgraduate funding, access for mature students and the extent and causes of student hardship in light of proposed reductions in student bursaries and increases in hidden course costs; and further calls for the means to create protections for students and staff whilst the wider reforms are in flux, including protecting the terms and conditions attached to student loans.</p>

Signatures by party: Labour 28, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Green 1.