* Natalie Bennett: “Rising fees have seen fewer state school pupils attending university, and more students regretting doing so because of the debt it’s saddled them with.”
Responding to news today that young people from low-income backgrounds think they have less chance to go to university, Natalie Bennett, Green Party Leader, said more needs to be done to encourage social mobility.
A poll by ComRes, commissioned by Teach First, found just over a quarter of students from low-income background said they always knew they would consider university, compared with almost half of those from wealthier backgrounds.
Bennett said:
“This study shows how far we have to go on social mobility, and the vital importance of making university education more accessible - something this government has utterly failed to do.
“Rising fees have seen fewer state school pupils attending university, and more students regretting doing so because of the debt it’s saddled them with. It’s clear that the current higher education system isn’t working.
“Instead, we need to do more to ensure that a range of world-class further and higher education options are open to all, and that pupils are given full support to choose the path that is right for them. We must also scrap tuition fees and bring back maintenance grants, so that pupils from all backgrounds can gain a university education without fearing being left with a lifetime of debt.
"Beyond social mobility, however, we must also acknowledge that everyone must have the opportunity to have a secure, rewarding life, which means the opportunity for an education that prepares them for that life, and jobs they can build that life around."