Like many parents with teenagers in their last year of school, I have been helping my 18-year-old through the application process for university.
I left school to go straight to journalism college and then into a job. Not going to university is something I have always regretted, so I am thrilled my son is taking up the challenge and I hope his siblings will follow suit.
As a volunteer mento
r at a local high school, I also spend time talking to 15 and 16-year-olds about their future choices and encouraging them to think about continuing their education – the reasoning being that in an age of job uncertainty, the more qualifications you have the better.
But qualifications these days come at considerable financial cost. My journalism course almost 30 years ago was funded by a full grant and company sponsorship. I was able to join the world of work debt-free.
My son will not be so lucky. He will have to pay for his studies with a series of loans which must be paid back.
Having done the sums with him, I am horrified at the huge amount of debt he will be in by the time he graduates.
That is why the behaviour of MP Derek Conway, who funded his sons' university educations with thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money, is so utterly disgraceful.
The least we can expect from our MPs is that they abide by the rules they enforce on us.
How can we possibly respect them when they behave in such hypocritical and cavalier fashion.
Mr Conway has shown he cannot be trusted to play fair with our money – so why should we taxpayers continue to pay his salary? I say throw him out now.
The full article contains 299 words and appears in Diss Express newspaper.
