By David Langran
dl@adm.au.dk
Student protests against the privatisation of higher education have been seen across Europe. Here in Denmark, the principle of free education is under pressure, with AU’s vice-chancellor, Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, suggesting that Danish universities might have to introduce fees in the future in order to compete internationally. But the majority of Danish students are not willing to sacrifice free education. Katrine Pape Granvig, studying International Studies here at AU, typifies the attitude of many:
“I’m strongly attached to the idea of free education – I really like the fact that your financial background has no impact on whether you go to university or not,” she says. She would also need to see a “real improvement” in the quality of her education before she would consider paying fees.
Her views are supported by research from the London School of Economics which suggests that the fees in Britain put off poorer students, contributing to a level of social mobility far below that of Denmark.
A better education?
Supporters of fees have argued that paying for university means that more funds can be invested in improving education. Private American universities, with their huge tuition fees, are able to hoover up the best academic talent through sheer financial clout, and dominate world university tables as a result. However, US student Rachel West, also from International Studies, feels that the sacrifice made for this illustrious position is too great, saying that:
“If you want to go to a university that can charge $40,000 a year, but you can’t afford it, then you’re pretty much out of luck – there are a lot of students who are forced to go to universities they don’t really want to go to because of money.”
She also says that despite paying around $15,000 a year for her degree there, her education here in Denmark, where she pays a lot less, is just as good.
British universities may lead European university league tables, but the rankings hide the fact that the British government deliberately gives more money to high-performing universities, which helps to maintain their rankings. However, the many universities who aren’t ranked suffer as a result, and there is a considerable gap between the “haves” and “have-nots”. The crown jewels of the British university system may shine brightly, but their success hides the fact that the general standard of British education is not improved by charging fees.
