What do Tories plan for students?

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IN the absence of a manifesto it is only possible to speculate on the effects on further and higher education of another five years of Tory rule. Howment's policy and also various statements of intent from prominent education spokespeople in the Tory Party, and to draw conclusions.

The Tories are clearly committed to reducing the amount spent by • the government and local authorities on education (as on all areas of public expenditure on social services) and to privatising eduction to a much greater degree. This, of course, means that while access is still guaranteed to the wealthy, it will be enormously reduced for the rest of us.

Loans

What form will this privatisation take? Firstly, on student financial support, it is almost certain that a reelected Tory government would replace at least part of the current student grant with loans. There would be nothing offered to students in further education, or in other areas not covered by the current mandatory awards system.

It is highly unlikely that they would increase the eligibility of students to social security benefits, so we can expect a very different class composition among a much reduced student population, if such a move goes ahead.

As this would, in effect, mean college closures, it woula enormously help the Tories in their desire to see a reduction in the number of public sector higher education institutions, and in the size of the ones which remain.

Teachers

Judging by Rhodes Boyson's recent comments about there

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ever, it is possible to note current trends in the govern-