Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Mbrown001]

I actually don't think we have done well.
The young leaving university with massive debt.

An illegal war that has sparked world wide terrorism. An NHS that is struggling, no social housing as it was sold off and no more built. A shortage of teachers.....

Yep we have done really well....

I could go on and on .....but I won't.

The young people that are not being considered are the doctors, dentists, solicitors, shop workers.....we need to consider them too surely.

Mrs Brown

[MicheleMaBelle]

Hi - I suppose your views on whether or not you think we've done well depend on your age. The early baby boomers have generally done better than the later ones and benefited from far more generous educational, and social benefits ( housing, and both private and state pensions ) Wealth accumulation has been easier for this cohort( in general terms )
Generation X have found it a bit harder but not out of reach.
It's the Millennials I feel sorry for and I'm not sure what the future holds for them. Yes, in a lot of ways they have more choice and more freedom. But, saddled with university debt, no chance of getting onto the housing market, poor occupational pension provision, terrible state provision, zero hours contracts, an uncertain future compared to most of ours I guess. Some things are the same, some are better but I wouldn't want to be them. We should all be concerned about our kids and grandkids futures in this uncertain world...

[Elizabethrose]

Mrs B and Michelemabelle, your Wee Jimmy Crankie ( and I'm a Scot ) sentence made me splutter, haha you are so funny! I love politics but have disliked the way it has previously been discussed on this forum so choose not to participate.

Can't remember who said it, but I too am yelling, arguing and muttering at the BBC 24 hour news on my laptop and quite frankly look and sound like a demented woman. Hubby is working here and keeps hollering down that he's going to get me sectioned!

Discussing uni debt with daughter on Skype tonight. She owes more than £50,000 and already has £6,000 of interest on top of it now. She said she gets monthly statements sent by snail post to France reminding her of what she owes. It's freaking her out totally! I've tried rationalising with her about how it's paid back and also that the loan is sold on to what is effectively a debt collection agency who will keep on chasing and reminding. I think she is just indignant that they keep 'prodding her with a big stick'. Think it hurts particularly as she's not earning enough to even start paying it back yet and the interest is already mounting. Salaries in France are much lower than here, at this rate it will be many years before a good portion of it is repaid!

[Mbrown001]

My DD has just had her first statement and it totally freaked her out.
We are a bit luckier in Scotland as we don't pay for tuition but she had five years worth of loans.

It's a lot to think about when you haven't actually finished your course. Not sure what the answer is though. In my day we all got grants and that was it. You left education without a thought to loans.

Glad you liked the Wee Jimmy Crankie comments....if you didn't laugh then 

Whereabouts in Scotland did you come from Elizabethrose. East West ?

Mrs Brown

[MicheleMaBelle]

No tuition fees in Scotland but the threshold for paying back is lower so it's smoke and mirrors

[Mbrown001]

Yes very true Michelemabelle.

It's going to take a while for her to pay back this lot 

Oh well we nearly at polling day.....what will be will be.

Mrs Brown

[CLKD]

However: our young people made their choices: to go to/not University.  What they didn't investigate is what exactly they were getting for their fees.  In our day ......... now it seems that they get less Lectures for more monies ........

They made the choices to go and their parents have helped as much as possible.  Again choices made.  The Blair Government encouraged everyone to believe that they were all University potential which many weren't.  So we lack plumbers, engineers, electricians because those skill basis were not considered.

How many would have paid more Tax towards Education, Health Service, Old Age Care?  I rarely heard anyone make those suggestions in an Election Year because it wouldn't have been a Vote Winner.  So all things considered, we have done well.

[Elizabethrose]

My DD has just had her first statement and it totally freaked her out.
We are a bit luckier in Scotland as we don't pay for tuition but she had five years worth of loans.

It's a lot to think about when you haven't actually finished your course. Not sure what the answer is though. In my day we all got grants and that was it. You left education without a thought to loans.

Glad you liked the Wee Jimmy Crankie comments....if you didn't laugh then 

Whereabouts in Scotland did you come from Elizabethrose. East West ?

Mrs Brown

Haha, no Mrs B, I was quoting Michelmabelle's comment. I'm a Londoner, born and bred!

CLKD, I get your point but my lass was offered her place before the fees suddenly hiked so she was the first year of the higher fees. All a bit of a shock for them.

[Elizabethrose]

Can't remember Megamind, I thought it was 23/24k. My son who was about 5 years ahead of my daughter had to start paying back on a 21k salary but he owes a tiny fraction of what his sister does.

[Mbrown001]

Oops sorry Elizabethrose 

Meno brain strikes tonight.

For Scottish students it's  the April after you graduate and only once you're earning more than £17,775.
Then you repay 9% of whatever you earn annually above £17,775. Repayments are taken from your pay by your employer, alongside tax and National Insurance.


My daughter will hopefully have a Masters in Business Studies. Whether she will be able to get a full time job is another story.
 


Mrs Brown

[dulciana]

Just thinking about the possible (probable?) outcome, that woman and the National Anthem - how about changing a certain line to "long to rain over us...."?     

[Cazikins]

I will be going tonight to vote & it will be because of the parties policies & not the personality of the leader.

Cazi x

[CLKD]

Also: Industry knows which were the 'original' Universities!  Any Colleges that have been up-graded and offer 'silly' Degrees are doing the Students a dis-service  .  My nephew did a 'degree' in media studies with a few to doing lots of film work, yeah right!  He's struggling.  A neighbour did an archeology 'degree' at what was a Further Education College until it was up-graded ..... job, nowt!  Now that they are both over 25 the can't get temporary jobs because supermarkets won't take on that age group because they have to begin paying NI, Pensions etc.. 

I put my X on the only person whose name I recognised  - in 9 different categories only 1 had sent any information to me, means they care about the man in the street then!  I didn't even bother reading the Parties ......... if they can't be bothered, I can't be bothered.  >yawn<

[cubagirl]

Only one party bothered to canvas in our area. Hubby gave them a list of things needing done! 

[CLKD]

were they impressed  ?