David Willetts, the universities minister, wrote in his essay that those students who are rejected a place to the university should apply the next year. He considers that it is wrong that students have only one chance to enter the university – when they are 18 years old. The estimations showed that nearly 170,000 students will fail to get a place at university this year because of the increased number of applicants. Willetts told the MPs: “People can do work experience and take up apprenticeships and maybe apply to university in the future.”
Willetts said that he wants to abolish the so-called “Club Med” model under which students who leave schools may have only one opportunity to apply for university. Cable agreed with Willets and told the committee: “We are looking forward to a model where higher education is much more flexible than it is at the moment”. MPs accused the ministers of not giving young people a second chance to get a place at universities. Rachel Reeves, Labour MP for Leeds West, is concerned with the future of young people who are not accepted at the university. He says there are too few universities and too high youth unemployment.
According to Willetts and Cable, they are doing their best to provide financial support for young people and give 10,000 more university places and 150,000 extra apprenticeships comparing to the previous year. Willetts said that getting to universities “has always been a competitive process”. Then he added: “For those who do sadly prove unable to get a place, there will be a range of options and they can consider reapplying.”
The issue that is much spoken about is the university tuition fees rise and Willetts confirmed that the Browne review would be published in October.