Solution to University Education Costs at a Stroke

I've started this blog on my wife's instructions - she is fed-up with listening to me banging on.

Actually that's not true.  She is fed-up with having to pretend to listen to me banging on.

So I'll keep this first post short and simple in the hope I don't alienate more people.

I can solve most of the issues Governments have struggled with over University education at a stroke.

We can reduce the cost of university education in an instant.  We could reduce the burden of most student loan debt by at least a third.  We can improve the quality of education. We can ensure that students are better prepared for the workplace when they leave university.  We can make university a more worthwhile experience and more accesible.

How?

Most degree courses (apart from a few obvious vocational ones such as medicine and law) could be done in 2 years rather than 3.

Obviously most students would have to work a little harder and watch a little less daytime TV.

But then students work as little as 15.9 hours per week (during term time), as evidenced by figures for students studying for Business and Administration Studies students at Leeds Metropolitan University, who have 9.9 hours of scheduled work and 6 hours of private study a week (source Times Higher Education Supplement August 2013).

Reducing their course to 2 years would only increase their studies to 23.85 hours a week - which would still leave time to watch Deal or No Deal and Neighbours.

Having to put more effort in at University would also surely make students better prepared for the 37.5 hours a week or more that will be expected of them in work.