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Tuition fees on agenda during MP’s school visit




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Sixth-formers shared a frank exchange of views with the area’s MP when he visited their school on Friday.

The MP for Newark and Southwell, Mr Patrick Mercer, visited The Minster School, Southwell, where he took questions from pupils on issues, including the controversial tuition fee rises.

Other topics included lack of trust in politicians, police cuts and anti-terrorism laws.

The question-and-answer session followed an assembly in which Mr Mercer talked to sixth-formers about the Conservative party and his political career.

Mr Mercer said: “I think it went well, although I’m not sure the students liked everything I had to say.

“There were some thoughtful questions and some less thoughtful questions. I hope it was informative and helpful for them.”

The head boy, Sam Marsden, said the debate gave politically-minded students a valuable opportunity to talk to their MP and engaged others who had taken only a passing interest before.

“The debate carried on long after Mr Mercer had departed — throughout the rest of the school day and over the weekend with numerous open discussions on Facebook,” he said.

Students asked Mr Mercer what he thought of the changes to tuition fees, which would allow universities to charge students up to £9,000 a year, nearly three times the current limit. Those currently in the sixth-form will be among those most affected.

Mr Mercer thought university education was out of balance, and that too many courses were being funded that were of limited value to students.

He thought more school-leavers should consider entering the world of work or taking up opportunities for apprenticeships or other further training.

“There are too many degrees that are of questionable value and too many youngsters going to university to do qualifications that are not actually going to be of that much benefit to them,” he said.

Some students told Mr Mercer they had to cancel gap years because they could no longer afford to take them.

He told students he did not believe in the right to a gap year before moving into higher education or work after leaving school, and that students could not be exempt from the difficult financial decisions that had to be taken.

“I don’t see why everybody should have one or two years out before moving on,” he said.

“I’m not sure that went down too well.”

Mr Mercer, who served nine tours in Northern Ireland with the Sherwood Foresters, said he was asked by one student: “Don’t you agree that the IRA are freedom fighters?”

Mr Mercer said he disagreed in the strongest of terms.

“No, I absolutely don’t agree. They are terrorists. They killed a lot of my friends,” he said.



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