畢業即負債，英國大學教育光環何在？

A.J.Dalton(amended by Jon Porter)

Jntroduction

世界排名前十的大學中有四所在英國，牛津和劍橋便是其中的兩個，它們大約有著八百年的悠久歷史，難怪英國如此受學生歡迎。但每年英國本土和海外學生上大學的成本都越來越高，學生們正背負著越來越大的債務畢業，所以大學學位真的值得嗎？

體裁 說明文 文章詞數 5 0 8 難度指數 ★★★題材 教育 建議用時 5′

In 2006,the UK government started to allow universities in England and Wales to charge British students tuition fees.Those fees have increased every year since,sometimes sharply.As a result,80 per cent of students in England and Wales now take out a student loan in order to go to university.They use the loan to pay for tuition fees,books and living expenses.Although the interest rate on student loans is quite low,it begins as soon as the student receives the loan.

The average student in England and Wales now graduates from university with debts of around￡44,000.For a student of medicine,who studies for longer,you can add another￡20,000 or more.That is a lot of money.And it's even more for international students.Their living costs are similar,of course,but they pay higher tuition fees.It often means that graduates with loans cannot afford to buy a house for many years.They even struggle to pay rent on a flat,because they have to start paying back the student loan the following April after they finish.If you start to earn over￡17,000 a year,the government takes repayments directly from your monthly salary.Is it any surprise,therefore,that the average British person does not leave their parents'home until they are 30 years old?

You might think thata British person with a degree will find it easy to get a wellpaid job.However,most people in “white-collar jobs” seem to have a degree these days,so there is a lot of competition.Also,British companies tend to value work experience over a piece of paper.Like everyone else,graduates usually have to start at the bottom and work their way up.That can be very frustrating for them,since they are often overqualified for the work they are doing.While at university,they had dreams of getting an exciting,challenging job.Therefore,life after university ends up being quite disappointing for a lot of graduates.

All of the above is beginning to make British people question whether a university degree is really worth the money.In recent years,the number of British students at university has been decreasing for the first time in history,and this trend is likely to continue.

Students have always been thought of as not having a lot of money,but “student poverty” is now considered a real problem in the UK.Most British students need to get a loan,part-time job or summer job.Worse than that,however,is the fact that student leaders report there are increasing numbers of students turning to crime to support themselves financially.

By contrast,things are now easier for students from other countries coming to study in the UK,especially if they are from wealthy families,since the value of the pound has fallen over the last decade.More international students come to Britain each year.British universities havebeen offeringmoreand moreofthe available places to richer international students ratherthan poorerBritish students.British universities have an excellent reputation,but in the future they may not have many British students!

Activity 1:Vocabulary

Match the terms with their definitions.One answer is given.

Activity 2:Gap filling

Using the vocabulary from Activity 1,complete the sentences below.

1.We will lend you￡3,000,and the annual______ is three per cent after three years.

2.Paying my fees every year has been a constant ______.

3.With such a small loan,I don't know if I'll be able to pay the______.

4.I've got a good job,but I just wish the work was more______.

5.When term ends,I'll have to get ______just to make ends meet.

6.The______is￡140 a week,but it's cash-in-hand,so you don't pay tax.

Activity 3:True or false

Decide if the following statements are true （T） or false （F）.

（ ）1.British education is becoming more expensive for most British students.

（ ）2.Having a degree ensures you will get a good job.

（ ）3.There are no university places left for British students.

Fun corner

Do you know the answers to these quiz questions?

1.Do you know two different names for the British currency?

2.What does “Oxbridge”refer to?

3.How much does a Scottish student or EU student from outside the UK pay a Scottish university in

tuition fees?

4.At which Scottish university did Prince William study?

5.What is the oldest university in the UK?

Word of the passage

A “white-collar worker” is someone who has a job in an office.He or she usually works in administration or finance.A “blue-collar worker” tends to have a manual job,such as in manufacturing or construction.