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Bin this broken approach to university funding

NUS president Wes Streeting calls for an urgent debate on top-up fees
City University in London
City University in London

Some people say next year's review of top-up fees in England will be a narrow inquiry that simply asks the question: the cap: how high?

Already, there is complacency about the inevitability of the outcome.

But today, the NUS launches Broke and Broken, a damning critique of the current top-up fees model and its long-term consequences for our higher education system.

In every respect, this is a system that has failed. It has failed to meet its own objectives, and it can only fail to create a fair arrangement for funding higher education if it is allowed to persist.

In trying to ensure that the prices of courses reflect their market value, divisions of quality, experience and outcome are entrenched. The richest institutions will benefit most from higher fee income, while the poorer and less stable universities will have the least capacity to invest in their students and their future. Comparatively, they will be broke.

There is still a demographic gulf between the richest and poorest institutions; until access to Britain's "top" institutions becomes a reality, a market can only act as a counter to the pursuit of social justice. A sector that should be an engine room for greater equality instead acts to reinforce inequality of opportunity and outcome.

Some believe the issue will be kicked into the political long grass until after the next general election. We must ensure that this does not happen. Students will feel betrayed if their concerns are relegated in a cosy Westminster deal. I expect ministers to be brave by launching a full and comprehensive review, according to the original timescale, in 2009.

The challenge is to replace our broken higher education system with one that has the potential to transform the lives of individuals and to create opportunity.

Our contention is that this goal cannot be met under the present system and a substantial change of direction is urgently required.

I call on our political leaders to give us the debate we deserve.

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