Lib Dem councillors are urging Haringey Council to speak up for the large student population in the borough and oppose tuition fees, which are hitting local students hard. The move follows the results of a survey carried out on sixteen year olds showing that two thirds of them could opt out of university because of the cost of top-up fees.

The survey was carried out by the Lib Dem national party during spring 2003, and involved 311 schools and 2,489 year 10 and 11 pupils. Haringey’s Lib Dem Group leader, Cllr Ross Laird is concerned about these figures and the affect that top-up fees could have on potential students in the borough. He is also concerned about the knock on affect to the local economy that a less skilled workforce would have.

Many students in the borough will have to cope with greater poverty, debts and stress as result of increased tuition fees. Figures published this week by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) already show a dramatic increase in depression amongst students with debts. Ten percent of those seeking counselling claimed to have tried or contemplated suicide.

Cllr Ross Laird comments:

“The potential affect of top-up fees is very worrying. We have a young population in this borough and it is important that we support them in getting the most out of education. The Government’s proposals for top-up fees put this in jeopardy and with it the chances of increasing our skilled work force in the borough.

“The BACP report already shows the increased financial pressure that students are currently under as a result of tuition fees. The top-up fees will exacerbate the situation. We must make it clear that as a council responsible for a large student population we will not accept the Governments proposals.”