Along with tho rcfusal of the Government to allow ¢xtra ‘moncy to local authoritics to implemont comprehensive plans there arc a numbor of othcor strands to Mr. Crosland's bow that add up to a potentially ~ disastrous state of affairs. Early last yoar there wore a numbor of reports in the press that the Government was considcring roplacing student grants by loans, repayable later. However, this was discounted at the timc, but now moves and statcments now put a question mark over these disclaimors.
Firstly, there has boon the reccnt increase in overscas students fces, ranging from £70 to £250 per year. This has alrcoady creatod a furious r.action from thc National Union of Students. The NUS pointed out that this will cntail many overseas students boing faced with the choice of living in cxtrome poverty or returning home before finishing their course of studics. Mr. Crosland's bland answer to this is that overseas students should find places in universities at home, adding that Britain was holping mahy of thom. What ho forgets of courso is that aid to overscas countrics is to bo cut this year.
Secondly, Mr. Crosland made a most romarkablo spocch on January 20th at Lancastor. He said ",..univorsitics might have to sacrifico some of thcoir luxurics if they aro to maintain thoir past rato of expansion..." Specifically ho montioned a) the present level of studcont grants. b) ratio of staff to students, c) tho numbor of students living in university accommodation. On the quostion of tho level of student grants one can only wondor at this typo of cloud=cuckoo thinking. Anyono familiar with students from working class familics will roadily undorstand that the prosont level, far from giving thom the life of 'Riley' that Mr. Crosland imagines, makes it vory difficult to livo a dccont lifo. Porhaps these romarks are intended to pave tho way for the introduction of loans instoad of grants. Such a movo would bo a retrograde and reactionary stcp in all its aspects. It would dotor many working class youngstors from going to a place of highcr learning. Morcover, it would ercate an cver growing pool of sraduatcs who would have a chip on thoir shouldor at boing saddled with a largo debt right at tho start of their working livos, when thoir pay was relatively low. As for studont lodgings Mr. Crosland should go and have a look at some of thom, not the new blocks but the dingy private accommodation, before talking about luxury. Ono of the major probloms in most provincial univorsitics is in fact tho lack of adequatc accommodation for students.
Not content with those itoms it now sooms that the Labour Government is gotting roady to increaso the prico of school meals. Mr. Crosland said in Parliamont rocently that tho question of the cost of these meals was oeing considcrod. Along with this, Margaret Horbison gave a very noncommital answor when directly questioncd on this mattor.
From thoso straws in tho wind it would soem that onec again the Labour Government is preparing to do an about faco on some more of the programme it was elected to carry out. Porhaps whon Harold Wilson spoke about tho University of the Air ho moant hot air.