The Student Room Group

Tories to cut access for international students

Amber Rudd, the Tory Home Secretary, is targeting overseas students.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/04/rudd-announces-crackdown-on-overseas-students-and-new-work-visas

This appears to be an easy option for the government in cutting total inward migration numbers, as they (stupidly) count students as part of that figure and overseas students make up a considerable percentage of annual migration into the UK.

At one time, the Tories used to be the pragmatic, pro-business, pro-economic strength party. Now they increasingly sound exactly like UKIP. It would appear that Farage has not just won the referendum, he has taken control of the Conservative Party as well.

The net result will be bad for the British economy as global demand for British education is huge and the HE sector is a big contributor to UK economic growth. Apparently, none of this matters to Rudd and May. :sad:
(edited 7 years ago)

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Stupid idea.

Why students are included in the main immigration figures i will never know.
link you posted does not match the thread.*

--

Regarding cutting the number of international students: its a huge huge mistake if they go in that direction. As a country we should be looking to maximize our valuable assets, not restrict. I work as an educational consultant in china, and well to put it simply, everyone wants to come here. those that don't, do not because of piratical reasons.. canada is easier, america cheaper, Australia is closer. etc. But most view england as the destination that they would love to study in 'if they could'.*

We should be looking to maximize our international students, and use them as a huge boost of revenue to jack up our universities budgets to give us some of the largest and best institutes in the world (even more so then we have already). Ofcourse it needs to be managed to not hurt british students.. but we should be capitalising hugely on one of the few areas where we truly have a great global reputation.*

The problems with immigration come from the lower end, and these should be correctly worked on - reducing the number of fake students who come here just to get into the country. But we should be making it easier and easier for the upper end, top quality students with enough money to pay for it, to come here..

A good number of the rich chinese students who choose canada because their visa system has the reputation for being easier and cheaper, should instead be coming to england and pooring money into our education system and wider enconomy. *
Its xenophobic and bonkers. Unis makes a great deal of money from students and a lot will go out of business.
Next she will be going after tourists.

What a terrible message to send tp students thinking of coming to study here. They can study in other more welcoming countries.
Having read from other sources she is menat to have said low quality courses , but what that means is unclear.
(edited 7 years ago)
Ridiculous decision and so typically Tory short termism.

Foreign students pay more fees, don't claim benefits and don't work either.

They also are by nature quite young and hardly use the health service.

Awful decision.*
and let me guess: you consider this racism
Original post by sleepysnooze
and let me guess: you consider this racism


It's been initiated as pandering to the new normal racist atmosphere, but personally I regard it as just stupid and typical of the sort of easy PR sop that inexperienced politicians come up with. I also regard it as part of the current reactionary politics, part of blaming migrants for the economic malaise rather than actually setting out to co-operate with other countries to tackle it. The withdrawal from Europe and this policy are all part of the same withdrawal from the world, little Englander mentality that Farage and other extremists have created and the only result of it will be to drive us deeper into malaise and decline and unrest.
Original post by sleepysnooze
and let me guess: you consider this racism


Racism involves race. This is xenophobia.
Original post by Fullofsurprises
It's been initiated as pandering to the new normal racist atmosphere, but personally I regard it as just stupid and typical of the sort of easy PR sop that inexperienced politicians come up with. I also regard it as part of the current reactionary politics, part of blaming migrants for the economic malaise rather than actually setting out to co-operate with other countries to tackle it.


you could have just given me a simple "yes"

The withdrawal from Europe and this policy are all part of the same withdrawal from the world, little Englander mentality that Farage and other extremists have created and the only result of it will be to drive us deeper into malaise and decline and unrest.


yeah
52% of the country are extremists
...
also: isn't england relatively little? what's your issue with that? what are you saying ? that england is huge? or ought to be considered huge by the globe? why? why should we be expansionistic?
Original post by 999tigger
Racism involves race. This is xenophobia.


wow, you never told me you were a detective?
Original post by sleepysnooze
wow, you never told me you were a detective?


Unfortunately you remind the rest of us on your credentials.
Original post by 999tigger
Unfortunately you remind the rest of us on your credentials.


of*?
Reply 12
And just exactly is wrong with "Home secretary outlines plan for students’ rights to be tied to quality of course"


That sounds eminently sensible to me. It's bad enough offering and teaching tuppence ha'penny courses to the indigenous population without doing it to overseas students too.
Original post by viffer
And just exactly is wrong with "Home secretary outlines plan for students’ rights to be tied to quality of course"


That sounds eminently sensible to me. It's bad enough offering and teaching tuppence ha'penny courses to the indigenous population without doing it to overseas students too.


What if only universities that accepted AAA students (or top 20-30 for instance) were allowed to accept international students, not only would the diversity suffer but the funding shortfall for 80% of British universities would be huge.
May as well shut up shop now, the skills shortage for professors and lecturers will also be immense if this goes through in any great form
Reply 14
UK students end up paying more but the government don't care because few young people vote so they can screw them without too much comeback.

Plenty of countries are more than happy to get the money from international students if Britain don't.
Reply 15
Original post by Colinj451
What if only universities that accepted AAA students (or top 20-30 for instance) were allowed to accept international students, not only would the diversity suffer but the funding shortfall for 80% of British universities would be huge.
May as well shut up shop now, the skills shortage for professors and lecturers will also be immense if this goes through in any great form
If the professors and lecturers were teaching pointless courses/degrees it would be no great loss if their posts did not exist.

Solution? Offer better and more relevant courses/degrees and develop the profs/lecturers to deliver them.

Not sure of the relevance of diversity at university tbh. A student should already have a grasp of the issues at age 18 when they go to uni. It should not fall to the university to 'teach' them (indirectly) via the ethnic origins of the other students.
Original post by viffer
If the professors and lecturers were teaching pointless courses/degrees it would be no great loss if their posts did not exist.

Solution? Offer better and more relevant courses/degrees and develop the profs/lecturers to deliver them.

Not sure of the relevance of diversity at university tbh. A student should already have a grasp of the issues at age 18 when they go to uni. It should not fall to the university to 'teach' them (indirectly) via the ethnic origins of the other students.


Do you have any concept of how many universities have 10-20+% of lecturers that aren't British?
Pointless courses, like science, maths, and others?
Given the post recently that said all my friends are going to university so the average must be higher than 50 % then I reckon social broadening is exactly an indirect benefit of university for a lot of students
Reply 17
Original post by Colinj451
Do you have any concept of how many universities have 10-20+% of lecturers that aren't British?
Relevance to the issue being discussed?

Original post by Colinj451
Pointless courses, like science, maths
I never said they were pointless. In fact, I never gave any examples

Original post by Colinj451
Pointless courses, like ...... others?
Care to elaborate?

Original post by Colinj451
Given the post recently that said all my friends are going to university
So?

Original post by Colinj451
I reckon social broadening is exactly an indirect benefit of university for a lot of students
I reckon anyone choosing to pay £9k pa for a bit of "social broadening" and a pointless degree is out of their mind
Original post by Fullofsurprises
Amber Rudd, the Tory Home Secretary, is targeting overseas students.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/04/rudd-announces-crackdown-on-overseas-students-and-new-work-visas

This appears to be an easy option for the government in cutting total inward migration numbers, as they (stupidly) count students as part of that figure and overseas students make up a considerable percentage of annual migration into the UK.

At one time, the Tories used to be the pragmatic, pro-business, pro-economic strength party. Now they increasingly sound exactly like UKIP. It would appear that Farage has not just won the referendum, he has taken control of the Conservative Party as well.

The net result will be bad for the British economy as global demand for British education is huge and the HE sector is a big contributor to UK economic growth. Apparently, none of this matters to Rudd and May. :sad:


Yup... Thatcher all over again, love-hate relationship to UK public.
Does that mean there will be less competition for us to get into uni?

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