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Election hustings
Tuition fees
Not a moral issue but the thorny issue of students’ tuition fees came up amid the debate.
Peter Morrison said the Lib Dems had a “history of doing away with them. Vince Cable proposals were very fair and made sure nobody would be denied an university place for the lack of money in the family.”
Charlie McGrigor said the quality of teaching was so diluted and many courses were meaningless .
“If there was a price tag, it adds value to education up front,” he said.
He added student contributions would kick in after they get a job and could afford it
Alasdair Allan said: “It is not a cost free option of the government to waive fees.
“The other parties would introduce fees one way or another but the SNP is committed to free education.
Donald Crichton said: “There is a crisis in funding higher education,” adding the gap needed to be plugged to get it right for the future.
Labour stalwart Donald Binnie Smith slammed the SNP for failing to honour its promise to “scrap all student debt.“
Allan concede the failure. He said: “We didn’t fulfil the pledge.” He criticised Labour for not backing the Scottish budget adding that Scotland’s budget was slashed by £1.6 billion by the Westminster government.
He added: “But we have abolished student fees and made education in Scotland free.”
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