Are Students "Better Off" Not Going to University?

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Are Students "Better Off" Not Going to University?

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Many students would be " better off" if they did not go to university, U.K. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said.

School-leavers would have "more rewarding careers" if they ditched degrees and took up technical education instead, according to Williamson. "Many students would be better off taking a different route," Mr Williamson told The Telegraph. "For some it could be an apprenticeship or technical qualification. Not only can these routes offer a greater career path, but they also provide the skills that we need as a nation."

The ambition for 50 per cent of school-leavers to go to university was first introduced by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1999, and the proportion of young adults in England entering higher education rose above 50 per cent for the first time in 2017. But Mr Williamson's remarks signal a departure from this goal.

His remarks come amid growing concern about the high numbers of students who go to university but end up burdened with debt which they are unable to repay. The number of graduates who fail to clear their debt before it is written off has almost doubled since 2011, with nearly 77.4 per cent of graduates never fully repaying their debts.

Vocabulary:

Come amid growing concerns - arrive at a time when people are worried

took up - to start something new

burdened - troubled or disadvantaged by something

apprenticeship - a qualification you achieve through on the job training.

Better off - to be in a better situation.