Lib Van challenges government on universal charge for students

Get your priorities right!

That's the message from the Liberal Vannin Party after proposals to charge Manx students for their university education for the first time were recently announced.

The Department of Education wants to introduce a universal charge of £2,500 for all students, with means-tested additional contributions on a rising scale for those whose parents earn more than £80,000.

Party leader Peter Karran - a former Education Minister himself - says the proposals would not even have been considered if he were still in the post and the government needs to be looking at what he calls the "real issues" where money could be saved

Mr Karran says he and Liberal Vannin colleague Kate Beecroft will be voting again the proposals in Tynwald next month and he hopes that many more MHKs, who prior to last year's General Election stated they would be in favour of the government paying full tuition fees for university students, will join them. He says education was supposed to be prioritised, but he now believes if the proposals go through only the rich will be able to go to university