Top Up Fees At The London School Of Economics

EDM number 418 in 1996-97, proposed by Ken Livingstone on 20/01/1997.

That this House believes that the decision of the London School of Economics Board of Governors to sanction the introduction of top-up fees of ú1,000 per year sets a grave precedent for the future of higher education in this country, noting that a number of other universities have stated that they are considering following the London School of Economics' example; believes that the introduction of top-up fees would create a two tier system of higher education in which access to some of the most prestigious institutions would be based on ability to pay rather than academic criteria; fully supports the London School of Economics students' union in its opposition to the introduction of top-up fees; and reaffirms its commitment to a fully state-funded system of higher education and condemns the systematic under-resourcing of the entire education system by the present government which is now resulting in individual institutions threatening to move further towards a higher education system based upon economic privilege rather than academic ability.

This motion has been signed by a total of 54 MPs.