Following on from my previous article, 'Mental Health: Are Universities doing enough to support those with mental health issues?', it seems that universities are facing further criticisms for not treating Students fairly. This comes from an open letter written by Nisha Arora, the CMA senior Consumer director. In March of 2015, the CMA set out that all universities should comply with consumer law. A further review has left 25 establishments under closer scrutiny. Out of these 25, 3 now have to make amendments to the current way their students are being treated.
The University of Buckinghamshire, for example, will no longer be able to apply educational sanctions when students have not paid debts such as library fees. As not all higher education providers have yet been reviewed, universities are being urged to ensure that their policies are compliant with the consumer law.
A costly decision
Deciding to go to university is potentially one of the biggest and most expensive decisions that anyone will make in their lives. This view has been stated by the likes of Alex Neill, director of policy and campaigns at Which?, who believes that students are not being supplied with sufficient information which would allow them to make a more informed decision.
False Advertising?
As I have previously explored, the problems that our current education system is facing is the fact universities and schools alike are becoming motivated by finances rather than the actual needs of the individuals. Universities seem to be misadvertising themselves in order to get applicants interests which is leaving many students disheartened once they arrive at the establishment.
Due to lack of information provided, courses can be difficult to compare and, when it comes down to it, it is easy to question where your £9000 a year is actually going. Whilst, according to the CMA, most universities are taking steps in the right direction, there is still a long way to go. As a university student myself, this is obvious and is an issue that is happening not just in universities but throughout our current education system.
