A Disproportional Impact on our Students

This proposed policy will have a disproportional impact on our students and those to come whose degrees may be unfairly categorised as low-value degrees. The restriction on low-value courses may also aggravate existing social inequality. At Sunderland, our student population is traditionally from underprivileged backgrounds, and is more likely to be impacted by this new proposal. This would further negatively affect the prospects of our students and possibly result in a vicious cycle for future generations.

The government posits that low-value courses are those programmes whose graduates are less likely to go on to professional careers, further their education, or launch their own businesses i.e. courses which are not considered to produce good economic value. However, the impact of education is diverse and far more rounded, producing graduates with critical thinking skills, creativity, and unique and better-informed perspectives, who are an asset to any society. The true value of education goes beyond merely preparing students for the job market; it also includes developing informed citizens who make constructive contributions to society in a myriad of ways.