Scottish Labour will use a Holyrood debate to push the Scottish Government to back its new deal for working people.
22.10.2023 - 09:47 / dailyrecord.co.uk
Scottish Government “underfunding” of universities has left the sector increasingly dependent on cash from foreign students, Tories have claimed, as figures showed the number of new students coming to Scotland to start their degrees has trebled since the SNP came to power.
In 2021-22 there were 18,280 first time undergraduate international students who came to Scotland from outside of the European Union – with this total up from 6,000 in 2007-08.
The Tories contrasted this 205% increase with the 60% growth in the number of new Scottish students starting university here over the same period.
A record 33,880 Scottish domiciled students started their first, full-time degree course at a Scottish university in 2021-22 – with this total up 595 from the previous year.
But the Tories said universities were being “forced to turn away talented homegrown students” because of the cap on funded places for Scottish students.
Conservative education spokesman Liam Kerr said: “The SNP’s unacceptable underfunding of Scottish higher education means that our universities are becoming ever more dependent on tuition fees from international students.
“While it’s welcome that so many young people from across the globe choose to study in Scotland, our universities’ reliance on international fees is having an unfair impact on young Scots.
“Universities have made it clear that the SNP’s arbitrary cap on the number of places offered to Scots each year means that they are forced to turn away talented homegrown students.”
Mr Kerr demanded the Government “urgently listen to the Scottish Conservatives’ longstanding calls to lift this stringent cap so that more homegrown students can attend universities in their own country”.
A Scottish Government spokesperson
Scottish Labour will use a Holyrood debate to push the Scottish Government to back its new deal for working people.
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Robbie Williams has said that he’s reached out to Lewis Capaldi over his mental health struggles.The singer, who is promoting his new Netflix documentary Robbie Williams which delves into his own mental health, said in a new interview that he’s been in contact with the Scottish artist who detailed on camera his struggles in How I’m Feeling Now.Speaking to DIY as part of a press event ahead of the release of the docu-series, the former Take That singer reflected on being “told to pull my socks up” when he was feeling low and anxious in the ’90s.He also revealed that he contacted Capaldi despite not feeling like he was the best person for the job. “I’ve reached out to Lewis and I’m here at any given time,” Williams told DIY.“There’s been times in my life when pop stars have been going through their own battles and then people will be like, ‘Have you reached out?’ And in my mind I’m going, ‘I’m still fucked! The last person they want to speak to is me! Yeah I’m 20 years down the road… fucking hell,'” he added.“It’s very difficult for people to understand the psychology of this great gift that has been given to you but yet it’s breaking you.
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