MHKs praise delay to student fees decision

A group of MHKs has issued a joint statement welcoming the delay to a Tynwald vote on imposing tuition fees on Manx students.

Regulations for a scheme which would see students pay towards their university fees for the first time, were due to be put to Tynwald Court this week, with a view to the scheme being in place by September 2013.

On Friday, the Department of Education announced it had put back the item until January, to allow more debate on the proposals. MHKs Howard Quayle, Richard Ronan, Leonard Singer and Laurence Skelly say they made representations to the Education and Treasury ministers calling for the delay.

In the statement, the four thank ministers for listening to them and to the concerns of constituents.

They say they now look forward to pro-actively engaging with the department on the fees proposals.

Education bosses have designed a scheme whereby all students are charged £2,500 towards their fees, with means-tested additional contributions for higher earning families.