NEW CHANGES ANNOUNCED TO UNIVERSITY FEES

NEW CHANGES ANNOUNCED TO UNIVERSITY FEES

Aspiring law students who fail to achieve a good grades in maths and English GCSEs could be banned from taking out student loans, under new government proposals. The move, which was announced on 23 February 2022, is designed to improve standards in the profession. Currently, around one in seven law students fails their degree.

"We want to make sure that people who study law have the best possible chance of success," said Justice Secretary David Gauke. "That's why we're looking at whether those who don't have strong grades in English and Maths should be able to get student loans."

Currently, anyone aged over 24 can take out a student loan regardless of their previous academic achievements. However, the government says that this is "not fair" to those who have worked hard to get good grades. If the proposals go ahead, law students would have to achieve at least a C grade in GCSE English and Maths to be eligible for a loan.

What does the legal profession say

The proposals have been welcomed by the legal profession. "We need to make sure that people who study law can demonstrate basic literacy and numeracy skills," said Simon Davis, president of the Law Society. "This is an important step in ensuring that we attract the best and brightest into the profession."

What does it mean?

This would mean that law students who do not already have a C grade in English and Maths would need to resit their exams or take alternative qualifications before starting their degree. Those who are already studying law would not be affected. The announcement comes as the government is also considering plans to raise the minimum grade for law students who want to become solicitors. Under the current system, law students need to achieve a 2:2 in their degree to qualify as a solicitor. However, the government is considering raising this to a 2:1. "We want to make sure that only the ablest students are able to study law," said Mr. Gauke. "Raising the grade requirements will help to ensure that we have a world-class legal profession."

The changes come as the government is under pressure to improve standards in the law profession. Last year, a report by the Legal Services Board found that one in seven law students fails their degree. The report also found that the number of law students who achieve a first or upper-second-class degree has fallen in recent years. There is currently no minimum grade required to become a barrister. However, the Bar Standards Board, which regulates the profession, is considering introducing its entrance exams.

What about disabled stundets

The Department for Education wants to implement minimum entry requirements to ensure that "students are t being pushed into higher education before they're ready," and to combat what it perceives as "low-quality" degrees. The ability of students to receive student loans will be restricted if they do not achieve a grade 4 in English and Maths GCSE, which was formerly known as the C grade in English and Maths GCSE. Every year, around 33% of pupils do not reach the proposed requirement. The plan is intended to lower the cost of subsidising an increasing number of university students who are unable to pay off their student debts. However, disabled students who do not do well in traditional school environments may lose access to further education that is more suited to help them interact with a variety of teaching methods and learning styles.

Bethany Bale, EDUK's Education Policy Adviser, highlights that access to higher education is already difficult for students with disabilities due to poor physical accessibility and inadequate financing for assistance. Those students, however, who are successful in getting into university often flourish in ways that they were not able to at the GCSE and A-level levels. Too frequently, regular schools are not prepared to fulfil the requirements of disabled students, which makes it difficult for these students to attain their academic objectives. There are a lot of disabled children who are very talented in the core subjects, but they have a hard time succeeding in school because the teaching and testing systems that are used to evaluate them are not flexible enough. Using grades as a method to verify the appropriateness of applicants to get financing would create an additional barrier that is not essential to bringing education up to the same level for young people who have disabilities.

The legal profession

But is the pay in the legal sector decreasing? In recent years, there has been a significant decrease in the pay of law graduates. In 2017, the average salary for law graduates was £39,000, down from £43,000 in 2015. This is even though the cost of studying law has increased significantly over the same period. The government says that its proposals are designed to improve standards in the profession. However, critics say that they will simply make it harder for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter the profession.

Poor background studnets

This will be yet another barrier for those seeking to study law, as the cost of living and studying is already high. For many people, taking out a student loan is the only way they can afford to go to university. The government should reconsider these proposals and ensure that law students from all backgrounds and schooling can access the education they need. Some will have turning moments in their lives where they feel studying law will offer some stability to raising a family.

Law is still something reserved for the elite. These changes will not improve access or diversity. What it will do is make law an expensive hobby for the wealthy. This does not send a good message about the government's commitment to social mobility. It is also likely to harm the quality of law graduates, as those from less well-off backgrounds are more likely to drop out of going to university if they cannot afford the fees. The government should rethink these proposals and ensure that law students from all backgrounds can access the education they need. Otherwise, the law will remain an elite profession that is out of reach for many people.

Then in turn these are the people everyone has to go to for justice. Judges and barristers all of which will be from healthy backgrounds and the law controlled by the rich few. The danger is that this segmentation will create a deeper divide in society. If you want a job in law, be prepared to pay through the nose. It's not just university fees that have to be considered, it's also the cost of living and working in law.