Politicians from nearly all parties are increasingly questioning the value of a degree. While Reform and the Conservatives continually bash so-called Mickey Mouse courses, Labour recently warned prospective students to “choose carefully” when considering a degree programme. Amid this noise, one party stands apart: the Greens.
“Our philosophical position is that education is a public good,” Natalie Bennett, former leader of the party, told Times Higher Education.
Challenging the view that a degree is only worthwhile if it leads to a high-paying job, she described the “utter downplaying” of the humanities and social sciences, while STEM subjects are put on a “golden pillar”, as “horrifying”.
Similarly, “the Green Party is not of the view that…fewer people should go to university,” Bennett said. “We need an educated, skilled population.”
But this opinion does not equate to a free pass for universities. Bennett, now a member of the House of Lords, has written passionately about the problems caused by the marketisation of the university sector.
