Writing in his blog, Streeting said that “continuing down the path of variable fees without pausing to reflect on the consequences of marketisation and commodification is short-sighted and dangerous.”
The government was responding to an e-petition that was set-up to oppose moves by some university vice chancellors who are calling for the cap on tuition fees to rise.
There are concerns that this rise could lead to fees of up to £30,000 charged per year from a student on a typical undergraduate course.
The statement, published on the Downing Street website, said “The evidence shows that these policies are working and that people are not being put off university as a result of the introduction of variable fees.”
It also said that “the additional revenue produced by tuition fees has enabled improvements in the teaching infrastructure in universities, after a decade of cuts to the unit of funding per student and to retain the international competitiveness of the UK’s HE sector.”
Streeting condemned the response, writing “I fail to understand how any minister committed to social justice could entertain a future for our universities where the rich get the best and the poor get the rest.”
He also revealed plans to take the debate to the people in the Autumn saying “If politicians from any political party were hoping they’d get away with not making their case on the doorstep, they’ll need to think again on variable fees.”
Downing Street reiterated that they are "committed to widening participation in HE and we are particularly concerned to ensure that the chance to participate in HE should not be denied to those from poorer backgrounds."
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