BBC最近对英格兰和威尔士的校长们进行了一次调查，调查以不计名的方式完成。结果显示，三分之二的校长们希望提高学费，涨幅在每年四千英镑到两万英镑之间。有半数以上的校长们希望学费不少于每年五千英镑，并且没有上限。

如果按照这个思路，假设学费上涨到每年七千英镑，英国本地学生们完成大学教育将会人均借贷32000英镑。

根据英国政府的惯例，2009年又到了重新审议教育收费的时间，目前政府对大学收费的封顶限额是3500英镑。而政府内部和舆论关于学费的讨论一直在进行着。英国大学的行业机构Universities UK也对学费发表了评论，Universities UK认为，如果学费涨到七千，市场将会出现同种课程不同价格的情况。

而学生们对涨价自然深表不满。英国学生联合会的主席 Sally Hunt批评校长们“无视公众的利益，只想着赚钱。”对此，英格兰高教部长David Lammy表示：“这是一个急需讨论的重要问题。”

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，英国使馆文化教育处提供）