Higher Education: Salmond and SNP cannot keep ducking the big issues

At FMQs today, the First Minister refused to say what his government will do on the crucial issue of university funding.

This morning, Universities Scotland called for a dramatic reform of higher education funding to make Scottish graduates contribute to the cost of their tuition fees.

This afternoon, Sir Andrew Cubie told a conference - The Future of Higher Education in Scotland - that there should be a graduate contribution to higher education and that Scotland is two years behind the debate.

Liz Smith MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning, said:

"Scottish universities acknowledge the crisis. They accept there will have to be a graduate contribution. They are calling for urgent action - all points that the Scottish Conservatives have been making repeatedly.

"When our own universities now concede that graduates are going to have to contribute to the cost of their education - when NUS Scotland accepts that - why can't the First Minister accept that simple principle, so that we can all get on with working out the detail?

"For him to try and kick this issue into the long grass until the end of 2011, far beyond the coming Holyrood election, is not acceptable. His dithering is cowardly and is born of a refusal to confront the big issues.

"We have a First Minister who talks but never leads, who ducks and dives around the problem, but never solves it. He will always do the populist thing rather than do the right thing.

"If Alex Salmond and the SNP will not commit to some form of graduate contribution, what is it going to be? Fewer students? Fewer courses? Fewer universities? Or all three?"

Sir Andrew Cubie was speaking at a conference organised by Holyrood Magazine entitled "The Future of Higher Education in Scotland". Liz Smith MSP was at the conference.

Last month, Scottish Conservatives hosted a conference at The Holyrood Hotel, entitled "Higher Education Scotland: Fit For the 21st Century?" Notable speakers included John McTernan, Professor Bernard King, Professor Anton Muscatelli, Professor Bruce Chapman, Liam Burns from NUS Scotland, Dr Craig Thomson and Professor Gerry McCormac.

Scottish Conservatives have been leading the political debate on this issue and we would like to see a form of graduate contribution.

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