Student debt
The 'Graduate Endowment' has been abolished.
"It's a significant first step from the SNP in reducing graduate debt, however, more has got to be done to acknowledge that students do live in absolute hardship", said James Alexander of NUS Scotland.
I cannot agree more.
As one of the last to enjoy grants instead of loans, my earning capacity has increased dramatically as a result of my education, and my extra contribution back to the Exchequer has more than outweighed the miserly grants I actually received.
A quick look back at the SNP Manifesto shows three unequivocal promises, "An SNP government will abolish the Graduate Endowment tuition fee and replace the expensive and discredited Student Loans system with means-tested student grants. We will remove the burden of debt repayments owed by Scottish domiciled and resident graduates."
Now deliver the entire package, and encourage the young to get an education not a huge burden of debt. Society will benefit.
"It's a significant first step from the SNP in reducing graduate debt, however, more has got to be done to acknowledge that students do live in absolute hardship", said James Alexander of NUS Scotland.
I cannot agree more.
As one of the last to enjoy grants instead of loans, my earning capacity has increased dramatically as a result of my education, and my extra contribution back to the Exchequer has more than outweighed the miserly grants I actually received.
A quick look back at the SNP Manifesto shows three unequivocal promises, "An SNP government will abolish the Graduate Endowment tuition fee and replace the expensive and discredited Student Loans system with means-tested student grants. We will remove the burden of debt repayments owed by Scottish domiciled and resident graduates."
Now deliver the entire package, and encourage the young to get an education not a huge burden of debt. Society will benefit.
7 comments:
Todays announcment, whilst welcome, would appear to be far far short of manifesto commitments.
I seem to remember during the campaign Nicola Strangeone promising to cancel out all existing student debt, and reintroducing grants.
Today there was no mention of any of this or even how the money in the education system from the graduate tax will be replaced.
I hope there is more to come and this isn't as much as they can manage
Surely you must realise that in a minority government (whichever party forms that government) it won't be possible to get every manifesto commitment through parliament. It's all about trying to do as much good with the resources that the country has.
Give the party politics a break and show some enthusiasm for this good news. I hope all parties will keep coming up with good ideas and that the sensible ones will be passed by parliament, whoever proposes them.
Don't forget that Labour, Liberals, Tories, etc form part of the parliament - they are supposed to work for the benefit of all Scots, not just their party colleagues. They're not just there to form an opposition!
I hope we are seeing the dawn of a new politics where cooperation rather than confrontation is the norm - the Republic of Ireland has done this for years and their economy hasn't suffered too badly. Our politicians can do so much more by working together rather than against each other.
As I said, this is good news...but only a part of the way to solving the problem.
Check my back posts and I was equally approving and critical of Labour.
The colour of the current administration does not mean that any criticism is bad.
If Labour oppose the removal of student loans I'll give them a verbal kicking. Just as I'll give the SNP one if they abandon a manifesto commitment that is in the best interest of the whole of Scotland.
As I said the removal of the tax is great news, but just because it is a minority government does not mean that they do not have a responsibility to carry out their promises.They have to try and put through the rest, it's no use whinging that the others woudn't let them.
Unlike others I am not prepared to blindly follow any political party, If I think they are wrong I will say so.
Hear hear Reiver
I think our "friend" Mr. Cove is trying to temper our disappointment for 4 years hence when absolutely nothing is achieved for Scotland or the Islands and the SNP candidates are out there canvassing for our votes to give them a second chance.
The SNP should have considered before the election that they may have to form a minority government before they dished out all the empty promises, but then I always said they were too arrogant to even consider that.
Now they have the fact that they are in a minority to blame for not delivering. They would never admit that it could be their fault or the fact that they were always lying just to get the votes.
Oh and sound cove, one of the many highlights of this blog is Angus' view of party politics. I'm sure that if he was having a dig at any other party you wouldn't be trying to silence him.
"I won't try to fulfil my promises because the other parties might object."
What a pityful excuse. It says lots about those who parot the excuses.
As I said yesterday:
"Though not exactly a floating voter, not being a member of any political party I wasn't bound to vote for anyone in particular last month.
I'll congratulate good ideas wherever they come from, whether Labour (smoking ban), SNP (abolishing graduate endowment) or otherwise."
So please don't assume that I'm an SNP voter. I just think we should, as the blog suggests, congratulate good news. Of course, if the SNP fail to put forward their manifesto promises then I they should and probably will be slung out just like Labour were. (Of course, if their proposals are defeated, that's just life in a minority government.)
By the time the next election rolls around, I hope Labour, Liberals and the Tories have analysed WHY they lost the election and offer Scotland a positive option. It would be great if the public could vote FOR a party whose policies they like rather than having to vote AGAINST a party whose policies they dislike.
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