The Education Treadmill Documentary Script
Voiceover: The British education system is one of the best in the world, these
days it offers a variety of vocational studies, and this is becoming more popular
with more young people undertaking apprenticeships and other alternative
routes. Many come here to study various degrees, it is said to be at the forefront
as more students than ever before are applying to university. In the documentary
we will be explaining why people go to university and alternative routes such as
apprenticeships.
Starbuck Coleman: Well universities are like every institution in the country
are going to face some tough times ahead, universities are traditionally being
subsidized considerably by the tax payer, I mean there was a time when there
were no tuition fees, no top up fees, nothing like that and your university
education was free.
Voiceover: In the past 20 years tuition fees have risen significantly and are still
increasing. Graduates up to now are facing an average debt of £15,000 so far
when they finish university, and recent surveys are highlighting the financial
burden facing new graduates.
Andrew Rosindell: But of course there has to be strict rules about who can go
and who can’t go, a lot of young people unfortunately are going to university and
not really taking it seriously.
Starbuck Coleman: It is being met with hostility, understandably, but ultimately
they have to pay their way and if you want to keep the UK’s universities
especially at the forefront, as a global standard, they have to fund that somehow.
Voiceover: As a result apprenticeships are becoming more popular as they are
no longer just being offered in traditional sectors. There are now more than 190
types of apprenticeships ranging from accountancy to textiles.
Collin Seabrook: The students may not be quite so academic, they may have a
tendency towards the vocational side, which is after all what apprenticeships
were designed for, it’s those students that not only have the technical capability,
but can also apply those skills in a practical manner.
Starbuck Coleman: Vocation education, you can call it that, apprenticeships, we
are desperate for this skill set, we’re desperate for it and unfortunately it’s been
neglected, heavy neglected, not only by the previous government, but by the
previous governments before that.
Collin Seabrook: It’s unfortunate that the countries successively are being run
by governments where most of the MPs have gone to university and have all
gone to university and have all gone through the academic route, whereas as
awful lot of the country carried on the backs and hands of men and women that
have gone through apprenticeships.
Voiceover: Many still think that apprenticeships are for people who are not
academic, who failed at school or dropped out of university.
Starbuck Coleman: You know, we have, we had such a focus on universities,
such a focus on, on purely academic education that we’ve lost track of what this
country actually requires.
Voiceover: This is particularly true because apprenticeships result in nationally
recognized qualifications but without the student debt. So why are students
opting to go university?
Chirag Patel: To be honest because I’ll be the first in my family to go to
university and it’s just something that my mum’s held high regard and I guess it’s
that social stigma, if you go to university you get a degree, then you get a good
job, it’s just that pathway of life.
Courtney George: I can say I regret, because I could save myself tens of
thousands of pounds on debts, tuition debts and maintenance debts and
considering the degree didn’t help me get to the position I am today.
Starbuck Coleman: But I don’t think that as it stands we’re helping people leave
university with a sensible amount of debt, I think that some aspects of the loan
financing has got greedy and their taking advantage of people who are put in a
position where they have no option but to secure some sort of loan and thus they
leave university with an unsettable amount of debt.
Voiceover: In the last 5 years tuition fees have been steadily increasing.
Courtney George: Tuition fees were £2,300 per semester
Chirag Patel: In around £3.290 a year
Starbuck Coleman: We had the £3,000 odd and now there’s talk of it going up
again ultimately nothing in life is for free.
Voiceover: Due to the country’s economic downfall the Government has
proposed a dramatic increase to student tuitions fees where universities will
now have the jurisdiction to charge up to £9000 per semester commencing in
2011. This decision sparked a mass protest attracting students from all round
the country. A small minority of passionate protesters illustrated their
disapproval by creating chaos in Westminster’s political heartland.
Jessiah Rabbit: What do you make of today’s happening?
Protestor: I think it was a longtime coming to be honest with you, because the
people are just so unhappy with what’s been going on, students are unhappy,
some many people have come here today, because it obviously a long time
coming.
Voiceover: Due to increasing tuition fees and changes in the economy, is
university losing its status? Are apprenticeships taking over and becoming more
appealing as an alternative route? Tune in to part two, to find out.