Big questions hang over university funding

When Sir Andrew Cubie, the man who led the abolition of university tuition fees ten years ago, says it would be wrong to rule out their reintroduction, he has kick-started a much-needed debate.

Initial reaction has been predictable. Education minister Michael Russell has declared fees off-limits and refuses to give consideration to their reintroduction. And student leaders have lost no time in voicing their opposition.

However, this instant thumbs-down poses two questions. How are Scotland's universities, already concerned at a growing funding gap between themselves and their English counterparts, going to secure sustainable sources of funding in the future? And, if the answer is "the Scottish Government", which other education programmes will need to be cut to provide the finance that might otherwise be obtained by the reintroduction of a graduate contribution?

Sir Andrew Cubie has at least got the discussion going about the future of Scottish university funding.

To their credit, student leaders do recognise that the status quo is not an option, and have given guarded backing to the proposal of Business Secretary Vince Cable for a graduate tax, provided the income is used to help poorer students.

The question for policymakers now is, if not tuition fees, and if not a graduate tax, what do they propose?