In response to the government's new Lifelong Loan Entitlement plans, UCU general secretary Jo Grady said:
'Piling ever more debt onto students is a tax on education and aspiration. The Conservative government needs to stop funding education through regressive means and instead commit to reversing the damage done to further education by more than a decade of chronic underfunding.
'There are questions to be answered about the government's new "flexi travel card". Flexibility for learners is good, but the fact remains that a high-quality education relies on continuity. It would be better to invest directly in learners so that they can afford to stay in education, rather than be forced to go back into employment before returning to their studies again. Equally, teachers will need to carefully plan curricula to adapt to new ways of learning. This will take time and must be funded accordingly.'
