Students celebrate A-level results but universities face funding crisis
Summary
TLDRThe script covers the release of A-level results in the UK, with students receiving their grades and universities facing financial challenges. It highlights the rise in top grades for the first time since 2021, the increase in university acceptance for disadvantaged students, and the disparities in educational attainment between regions. The government's stance on university financing and international student policies is discussed, emphasizing the need for reform and the impact of restrictions on overseas students. Universities are portrayed as striving for financial stability while offering quality education and opportunities for students.
Takeaways
- π Results envelopes at Sefon 6th Form College are being opened by students, reflecting a mix of emotions from relief to disappointment.
- π Mason Lee McIntyre is relieved and overjoyed to have received the grades needed for university to study law.
- π Zara and Nina are happy with their results, with Zara planning to take a gap year to work before attending the University of Manchester.
- π Top A-level grades have risen for the first time since 2021, with nearly 28% of students in England achieving an A or A*.
- π There is a disparity in top grades between regions, with Wales and Northern Ireland seeing a slight decrease but still outperforming England.
- π« There is a significant increase in university acceptance for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a 7% rise in acceptances over the previous year.
- π Attainment gaps between independent and comprehensive schools, as well as between the North and South, are highlighted, with varying percentages of top grades achieved.
- π¨βπ¨ Emily Blanco, who did a BTEC in art and design, is thrilled with her distinction star, and is heading to university to study comics and graphic novels.
- π οΈ AED Edam's engineering course has helped him secure an apprenticeship with Northern rail, showing alternative vocational routes to university or work.
- ποΈ Liverpool Hope University is in clearing mode, emphasizing the financial reliance of universities on tuition fees, which have not kept pace with inflation.
- π° The government acknowledges the financial pressures on universities but is considering reforms to the university financing system, which is currently in disarray.
Q & A
What was the general reaction of students at Sefon 6th Form College upon receiving their results envelopes?
-The students had mixed reactions. Some, like Mason Lee McIntyre, were relieved and overjoyed to have received the grades needed for university, while others, like Zara and Nina, were happy with their results but had different plans, such as taking a gap year to work.
What was the percentage of students receiving top grades in England, and how does it compare to previous years?
-Top A-level grades increased to almost 28% of students in England, marking the first rise since 2021.
How did the top grades percentage change in Wales and Northern Ireland, and what was the initial plan for these regions?
-The percentage of top grades slightly fell in Wales and Northern Ireland, but they still outperformed England. The initial plan was for grades in these regions to fall back in line with pre-COVID levels.
What is the increase in the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds going to University?
-There is a 7% rise in the number of 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds accepting university places compared to the previous year.
What is the difference in the percentage of students receiving top grades between the Northwest and London?
-In the Northwest, 25% of students received an A or a star, whereas in London, the percentage is 31%, indicating a significant disparity.
What vocational route did Emily Blanco take, and what was her outcome?
-Emily Blanco took a BTEC in art and design, achieving a distinction star distinction, and is now going to do a degree in comics and graphic novels.
How did Toya's engineering course contribute to his future plans?
-Toya's engineering course helped him secure an apprenticeship with Northern Rail, and he expressed feelings of nervousness but also happiness and eagerness to learn and work.
What financial challenges are universities facing, and how are they trying to cope?
-Universities are facing financial struggles due to tuition fees not keeping up with inflation. They are trying to cope by clearing as many students as possible to secure funding and are looking at government reforms for university financing.
What is the government's stance on addressing the financial struggles of universities?
-The government acknowledges the financial pressure on universities and is determined to reform the system to work in the interests of taxpayers, institutions, and students. However, it is also clear that the previous government's approach has led to a system in disarray.
What is the new Minister for Higher Education's view on the value for money that disadvantaged students are getting from university?
-Baroness Jackie Smith acknowledges the increase in disadvantaged students getting university places but points out the need to address inequalities in university access and the value for money in terms of lifelong earnings and other benefits from attending university.
What is the government's policy regarding international students and their family members?
-The new government is not planning to overturn the ban on most overseas students being prevented from bringing family members to the UK, emphasizing a more open and welcoming approach while maintaining current immigration positions.
Outlines
π A Spectrum of Student Reactions to Exam Results
The script begins with a scene at Sefon 6th Form College where students are anxiously opening their exam results. Various reactions are depicted, from Mason Lee McIntyre's relief at achieving the grades needed for university law studies, to Zara and Nina's contentment despite not hitting their predicted grades. Some students are still accepted by universities willing to be flexible. The percentage of top grades has risen for the first time since 2021 in England, with Wales and Northern Ireland showing a slight decrease but still outperforming England. Disadvantaged students are increasingly attending university, with a 7% rise in acceptances. However, there's a disparity in attainment between regions and types of schools. The script also highlights alternative routes to higher education, such as vocational courses and apprenticeships, and the financial challenges faced by universities, with some struggling to keep up with inflation.
ποΈ University Education: Value and Financial Struggles
This paragraph delves into the value of a university education, with the UK boasting several top-ranking universities globally. Despite this, there's a debate about whether the high cost of tuition is justified, especially considering the employment rates of graduates. The script addresses the financial struggles of universities, with some on the brink of bankruptcy. The government's stance on not increasing tuition fees or overturning visa restrictions that affect international student numbers is highlighted. There's a call for a more welcoming approach to international students to bolster university finances. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on the need for long-term solutions for higher education funding and the importance of maintaining the quality of education and student experience.
π€ The Sustainability of University Fees and Support
The final paragraph focuses on the sustainability of current university fees, which have been frozen since 2017. There's a discussion about the need to reassess these fees in light of the demands placed on universities and the impact of inflation. The importance of student support, such as maintenance loans, is also mentioned, with concerns about the cost of living for students. The script suggests that a sector-wide approach is necessary to address the financial challenges faced by universities, rather than focusing on individual institutions. It emphasizes the need for a comprehensive strategy to ensure the continued provision of high-quality education and research.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Results Envelopes
π‘University Admission
π‘A-Level Grades
π‘Disadvantaged Backgrounds
π‘Attainment Gaps
π‘Clearing
π‘Vocational Routes
π‘Educational Disparities
π‘University Financing
π‘Immigration Restrictions
π‘Sector-Wide Problem
Highlights
Results envelopes at Sefon 6th form College are being opened by students, marking a moment of high anticipation and relief.
Mason Lee McIntyre expresses his relief and joy at achieving the grades needed to study law at University.
Some students like Zara and Nina are happy with their results despite not getting their predicted grades.
Top A-level grades have risen for the first time since 2021, with 28% of students in England achieving an A or A*.
There is a disparity in top grades between regions, with Wales and Northern Ireland seeing a slight decrease.
More students from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to University, with a 7% increase in acceptances.
Attainment gaps are widening between independent and comprehensive schools, as well as between the North and South.
Emily Blanco achieved a distinction star in her btech in art and design and is moving on to study a degree in comics and graphic novels.
Toya's engineering course helped him secure an apprenticeship with Northern rail.
Universities are facing financial struggles, with tuition fees not keeping up with inflation.
The government is considering reforming University financing to address financial pressures.
The new Minister for higher education, Baroness Jackie Smith, acknowledges the need for addressing inequalities in University access.
There is concern about the value for money of University education, with less than two-thirds of graduates in full-time jobs 15 months after graduating.
The government is open to overseas students but is not willing to overturn visa restrictions that may affect their numbers.
Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Helen Neville discusses the financial reliance of Universities on overseas students and the need for policy changes.
There is a sector-wide problem in higher education regarding financial stability, not just individual University struggles.
Transcripts
800 a.m. at sefon 6th form College the
results envelopes are out waiting to be
opened by nervous hands okay got
ABC
D Mason Lee McIntyre was relieved to get
the grades he needed to go off to
University to study law over the moon
Joy I can't really put into words um
literally what I wanted I
nightmares about this day to be honest
with you and just look on on newcast and
find and I've g into my f Choice it's
literally the best thing that could
actually happen yeah we were really
nervous no I wasn't yes you was Zara and
Nina are pretty happy with their results
I I didn't really get the grades I
wanted but I still go a good grades and
I'm taking a gap here to work yeah and
I'm going to the University of
Manchester some didn't get their
predicted grades but were still accepted
by their chosen universities who need
students and were prepared to be
flexible top a-level grades have risen
for the first time since 2021 with
almost 28% of students getting an A or a
star in England the percentage of top
grades increased slightly they fell in
Wales and Northern Ireland although they
still outperformed England it was always
the plan that this year grades in Wales
and Northern Ireland would fall back in
line with pre-co levels more students
from disadvantage backgrounds will be
going to University over 27,000 18year
olds have accepted places a rise of 7%
on last
year but there are wide and widening
attainment gaps between independent and
comprehensive schools and the North and
South in the Northwest 25% of students
got an A or a star but in London it's
31% the government said poverty had
created Stark educational
disparities at hued College in ble
students can take more vocational routes
to University or work Emily Blanco did a
btech in art and design and she aced it
gotten a distinction star distinction
distinction and I'm really happy about
it I bet were you expecting that um not
really I was expecting much lower but
I'm really happy I got it and what
Emily's off to do a degree in comics and
graphic novels AED Edam I Toya's
engineering course helped him an
apprenticeship with Northern rail how
will you feel on the first day when you
turn up for your
apprenticeship same way I'm feeling now
bit nervous like but happy I'll be
willing to learn willing to work willing
to you know get stuck
in these are nervous times for
universities too at Liverpool hope
University clearings in full swing so
that c you require 88u plus points The
Lion Share of their funding is tuition
fees they haven't kept up with inflation
but universities need every student they
can get just how tough are finances and
how important was it to hear today that
the government is looking at reforming
University financing it has been a
challenging period every student is
important and every fear is important
it's really important to think about
what we're using that for as well
fundamentally we're in the business of
educating students um and investing back
in student experience and making sure
that the students um succeed the best
that they possibly can of the government
says it knows the financial pressure
universities are under I'm determined to
reform the system to make it work in the
interests of the taxpayer but of also of
Institutions and students too but after
14 years the system's in a mess the
government previous government kicked
the can down the road and we will need
to take the time to make sure we get
this right so that University is an
option that's there for talented young
people Liverpool hope University is
proud that half its students are the
first in their family to do a degree and
experience everything university has to
offer well baroness Jackie Smith is the
new Minister for higher education I
spoke to her earlier and asked if the
record number of disadvantaged students
getting a university place this year are
actually getting value for
money well first of all it's a very good
thing that there are more students
getting that their first choice offers
and that there are more for for for
example disadvantaged students as you
say who have having that opportunity the
problem is that there still are too many
inequalities with the way in which
people are getting into University you
stand much more of a chance from some
geographic regions from some backgrounds
than you do for for others and that's
something that we're really committed to
to challenging and to making
improvements in as to whether or not
they're getting value for money well I
think you know there is an enormous
benefit to be had from going to
University in terms of your lifelong
learnings but obviously of course all
the other things that you get from
University as well the problem is that
we make sure that that option is open to
people regardless of their backgrounds
you talk about lifelong earnings I mean
fewer than 2third of University
graduates are in full-time jobs at 15
months after graduating is that really
worth the Β£99,000 a year in fees that
they're paying let's not forget Kathy
you know we've got World leading
universities in this country we've got
four out of the top 10 universities in
the world World we've got 15 out of the
top 100 universities in the world so
this is something that we should be
proud of and it's an enormously
important opportunity you say you're
proud of of Britain's universities but
they're facing an unprecedented
Financial struggle um I mean some of
these students could be going to
universities that are on the point of
going bust are you in talks with some of
those institutions that are on the point
of collapse look universities are
independent organizations they've got to
make decisions themselves about how they
run themselves as effectively as
possible but they also need a bit of SEC
understanding and security about what's
coming in the future in terms of their
their finances and yet your boss keeps
on ruling out options so she's made very
clear for example in recent days you
won't be increasing tuition fees to give
universities more funding neither will
you overturn the visa restrictions which
the last government introduced which
have led to a decrease in international
students which universities depended on
for their finances so how are you going
to address this black hole in their
funding when it comes to overseas
students we have actually taken a much
more open and welcoming approach to
overseas students than was the case of
the of the last government if you're so
welcoming of them why not LIF some of
those restrictions it doesn't require us
to change the current immigration
position for uh students what people
hear is very important to them in terms
of whether or not it's worthwhile coming
to the UK to study in actual fact what
we've seen today with the ucast figures
is for undergraduate students there's
about a flat level of overseas students
but I take your point that people may
well have been put off coming to this
country not So Much by policy changes
but by the sort of rhetoric that the
last government used against them well
we're setting a different tone and we
think that will be heard across the
world you are welcome to come and study
at the UK's worldclass universities
alongside actually The increased number
of UK 18year olds who are going into
receiving their offers and and going
into University this year as well but
you know it's the postgraduate
International students who have declined
and just sort of saying they're welcome
might not be enough they want to bring
their family members with them you're
not going to overturn those restrictions
so is it really going to
change well I think you know we need to
wait and see because the postgraduate
numbers for international students come
later on down the track you're saying
wait and see but these universities are
facing massive funding problems right
now are you willing to see a university
go bust because there are some
institutions you'll know where they are
that are at that point now yes if it
were necessary yes that would have to be
the situation but I don't want that to
be necessary I want us to find a way for
there to be Financial stability for
universities and most importantly for
the students that they are serving into
the future and that is what we are
working on bar Smith thank you very much
well joining me now is Deputy Vice
Chancellor and provest at Kingston
University Professor Helen lville uh you
heard there the new labor government is
not going to overturn the ban on most
overseas students uh being prevented
from bringing family members to the UK
what impact is that going to have on you
financially well we're working very hard
to persuade um and to let University
students potential University students
overseas know that we're open for
business and that we welcome them we
welcome their contribution and we've got
something distinctive to offer them uh
we really do uh develop programs that
give them uh employability skills that
give them access to researchers and
access to uh Specialists so I think
we're working really hard to make sure
that we've got a great product a great
experience for students to sell and the
work the government's been doing to
reinforce that message that University
students from International destinations
are welcome here is is a really good
message our fact check team has been
looking at this very issued this week
and at Kingston University I think
around 70 million of your income about
30% overall comes from overseas students
you need that money you rely on that
money don't
you we do need that money and across the
sector this is not just Kingston
University you could go to any
University in the UK and talk about the
fact that they have been using that
overseas income uh to manage the fact
that um in home fees have not kept up
with inflation so there has been across
subsidy that's been going on uh but
universities are working really hard to
manage their finances uh to make um
effective uh use of the resources that
they have and to keep investing to keep
the university attractive uh but we do
need long-term Solutions across the
sector uh for the situation that we're
in in higher
education but you would like that policy
change those immigration restrictions
reversed
right I think there's lots of ways that
we could um improve uh our offer for
overseas students there's things that
the universities that could do there's
things that the university uh sector
could do there's things that the
government can do we're working to make
sure that our offer is really attractive
to students one of the things that
people are worried about is students
having visas and coming here um and not
not really developing the skills that
they're uh they're paying for and so
we're certainly making sure that our
future skills offer for students is
making them more employable so I think
that's what the public want to see they
want students coming here and getting a
great experience and yes being welcoming
in every way we can to get those
students to come and study at English
universities British universities that
really offer fantastic programs for
students if the education secretary were
sitting here right now how much would
you tell her that University fees
domestic students pay should
be I think that that's a really
difficult question because students are
worried about the sticker price if you
like even though they don't pay that
back straight away and experts uh on
University science and people like
Martin Lewis will talk about the fact
that it's still a really great
investment for students but I think we
do need to look at whether it's
sustainable to keep the fees as they are
they were Frozen as a temporary measure
in 2017 and haven't moved since and that
means they're worth Β£6,500 about uh and
we have to be realistic about the
demands we put on universities I'm sorry
how much should they
be I think we have to look at what we
can deliver it's a question of what they
should be and what people can expect
from universities so you can't keep
asking universities deliver uh the
mental welfare that we deliver to people
the community work that we do all of the
demands that you put on universities
with a fixed fee uh that is um because
of inflation decreasing so I think we
have to look at that but we also have to
look at student support for example uh
student uh maintenance loans which
haven't moved either and is causing
students cost of living issues that's
making it really difficult for them so
there's a really significant piece uh
that goes beyond I think just saying one
price for
something it it doesn't sound like the
new government would step in to
intervene if a University we about to go
bust we've heard that tonight does that
surprise
you it doesn't surprise me um I think
it's slightly the wrong question so I
think we have all focused on this idea
of what if one University goes bust and
what would happen in that particular
situation uh and the fact is it's not
one University it's not even two
universities pretty much all
universities are having this problem
it's a sector-wide problem so I don't
think stepping in to deal with one
University to support one University is
is the way we should be thinking that's
very much a sticking plaster um our um
University sector organizations such as
University Alliance and universities UK
have been talking about the fact we need
to think about this as a sector we need
to act in ways that will protect the
sector uh and the country and protect
the Fantastic Education and Research
that our universities offer so I think
focusing on one University or two
universities is not the right way to
think about this problem Professor Helen
Neville from Kingston University thank
you so much for speaking with us
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