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| Professor: Students live 'luxurious lifestyle' Students: No, we don't |
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Originally published on Ocotober 20th, 2009 Queen Mary University professor Kevin Sharpe is facing a backlash after suggesting that students in Britain live 'a luxurious lifestyle'.
The National Union of Students is up in arms about the comments, labelling them 'extraordinary.' Recent research has suggested that the average student leaves university with about £20,000 worth of debt, with some students carrying as much as £40,000. Professor Sharpe’s comments come just as ministers are discussing a possible increase in student fees in the UK. Professor Sharpe said in his article that “In the town where I live at weekends, students pour not from Aldi but from Waitrose, with bottles of wine and champagne as well as bottled water, expensive foods and snacks”. “Student homes are often equipped with large LCD TVs, Sky boxes and, as burglars have been quick to spot, several high-end laptops per dwelling, offering richer pickings than normal domestic residences”. He added: “I queue behind students who often spend more than £5 on a snack lunch at Marks & Spencer before boarding the bus. On the journey to campus, some are plugged into the latest and fanciest iPods, while many more spend the half hour on mobile calls at peak times”. Sharpe claims that his critique of student lifestyle is based on concern for what he calls 'those less well off', who are not financed by 'the bank of mum and dad', whom he fears are “understandably anxious to keep up with their peers, the inevitable consequence is debt – and substantial debt at that”. Wes Streeting, the NUS president, told the Telegraph: "I think it is frankly extraordinary that he's under the impression that students are graduating with £23,000 debts because they're spending their time quaffing champagne and living luxurious lifestyles. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of students are having to work longer hours in low paid jobs or dip in to already overstretched family finances just to get by. This is not a good time for students on campus and I think Professor Sharpe needs a reality check". Alex Paul, a first-year International Relations student at the University of Edinburgh shares Streeting's sentiments and adds: “He identifies what everyone has, the things that are ubiquitous, like the mobile and the iPod, and calls them luxury”. “And I’m sure he went to uni when the government paid for everything!”
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