BBC最近對英格蘭和威爾士的校長們進行了一次調查，調查以不計名的方式完成。結果顯示，三分之二的校長們希望提高學費，漲幅在每年四千英鎊到兩萬英鎊之間。有半數以上的校長們希望學費不少于每年五千英鎊，并且沒有上限。

如果按照這個思路，假設學費上漲到每年七千英鎊，英國本地學生們完成大學教育將會人均借貸32000英鎊。

根據英國政府的慣例，2009年又到了重新審議教育收費的時間，目前政府對大學收費的封頂限額是3500英鎊。而政府內部和輿論關于學費的討論一直在進行著。英國大學的行業機構Universities UK也對學費發表了評論，Universities UK認為，如果學費漲到七千，市場將會出現同種課程不同價格的情況。

而學生們對漲價自然深表不滿。英國學生聯合會的主席 Sally Hunt批評校長們“無視公眾的利益，只想著賺錢。”對此，英格蘭高教部長David Lammy表示：“這是一個急需討論的重要問題。”

Universities push for higher fees

Two thirds of vice-chancellors, speaking anonymously, said they needed to raise fees, suggesting levels of between ￡4,000 and ￡20,000 per year. More than half of university heads want students to pay at least ￡5,000 per year or for there to be no upper limit.

The National Union of Students has warned of debts of ￡32,000 for students if fees rise to ￡7,000 per year.

University fees must be reviewed this year by the government - and there are already arguments about whether the present ￡3,500 cap on fees should be lifted. Any changes will affect about a million students on undergraduate courses.

Universities UK has set out the consequences of fee levels of ￡5,000 and ￡7,000 - arguing that if fees reached ￡7,000 a market of differently priced courses would emerge.

This has angered the National Union of Students. Sally Hunt, leader of the UCU lecturers' union, accused vice chancellors of "ignoring the views of the general public as they try to secure more cash by any means possible".

England's Higher Education Minister David Lammy said there was an "important debate to be had".

（Source: BBC News，英國使館文化教育處提供）