Does Eric Pickles lie awake at night wondering where his next meal is coming from?

When Simon Hughes MP (deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, advocate for access to education, abstainer on fees and patroniser of young people everywhere) announced he would be visiting Cornwall College, I raised my eyebrows, held back my own opinions and organised a group of students to meet with him.

As part of his grand tour – here consisting of Merseyside and “somewhere in the Midlands” – of Colleges in the UK, Simon came down to talk to staff and students about their experience of access to Education. To get their opinions. Or rather, to talk about their opinions.

I have never been prouder of a group of students whilst doing my current job. One exchange between Hughes and a group of the students went a little like this (I almost burst with pride):

SH: So young man, what would you like to do at University?

Student 1: Well I wanted to go and study photography but I’ve been put off by the expense

SH: AHA! You needn’t be put off by the expense! You’ve obviously been fed misinformation about the loan system. Did you know you won’t have to pay anything back until you’re earning £21,900 per year? You’ll probably not earn enough to repay your loan fully anyway! Tally-ho and off to University with you.

Student 1: No, I know that. I’ve just always been brought up not to owe people money.

Me: I’d like to reiterate that the people in this room aren’t stupid. Nor are they completely ignorant. What you need to realise is that just because someone disagrees with you, doesn’t mean they don’t understand the issue. The fear of debt is a reasonable cultural one, and is one which you will never be able to appreciate.

Student 2: If half of us aren’t going to repay this debt, won’t that just add to the country’s deficit?

SH: Oh you needn’t worry about the deficit. That’s not your problem. You let the treasury get on with that.

Student 3: If I don’t need to worry, then why are my public services being cut?

Student 4: Yeah, and it’s my parents who are being made redundant

Me: These people are constantly being told to be aware of the deficit, to make sacrifices because of the deficit, and you brush it aside like it doesn’t impact on them?

Aren’t we all in this together?

Simon proceeded to talk of such glorious things as “Careers Tutors” (no one in the room had ever had one). He suggested that pupils should be offered work experience at age 11 (not recognising that half of those in the room had never had work experience due to a lack of placements). He talked about a dream world in which Schools provide Information, Advice and Guidance that is truly impartial. For someone who describes himself as a listener, he does a lot of talking.

He asked if one young person worked on commission. At Tesco.

Now, I don’t dislike Simon Hughes. In fact, I think he probably does want to do the right thing for young people (he’s just not exceptionally good at doing it). But what I do find contemptible is that he is a prime example of a problem endemic within our political system. Those in power have absolutely no idea what it is like to live an average life in the UK.

When was the last time George Osbourne stood on a petrol forecourt, looked up at the price of unleaded and had to make a decision between visiting his family and taking the children to school?

When was the last time Nick Clegg had to withdraw his entire life savings to pay for a broken boiler to be repaired?

When was the last time William Hague simultaneously found out one of his sons was losing his job and the other was going to war?

When was the last time any of these people required a sure start centre, a rape crisis centre or an evening class at their local FE college?

Does Eric Pickles lie awake at night wondering where his next meal is coming from?

So what am I driving at? That these people shouldn’t be in power purely because they have no experience of being on the poverty line? No. No, if these people are the democratically elected leaders of our country then so be it.

But for all our sakes, show some humility.

Accept that we all know we are not in this together.

Ask what it is really like. And then stop talking. Listen.

1st Class Honours in Shelf Stacking.

There have been many articles published since A level results day that I can sympathise with. Yes, students do spend hour after hour learning about good exam technique. No, they do not require full knowledge of a subject to pass an exam on it. Is that the fault of the lecturers whose targets require them to tirelessly improve their exam results? Is it the fault of students who have a huge desire to learn, but an even bigger desire to go to University? I don't think so.

If you want Students to receive a cathartic experience of Education, where they become knowledgeable, confident and successful, maybe some of the values we hold about education need to be brought up to date. Not all students have a knack for exams. Fact. Coaching students in exam technique in order to increase their chances of success doesn't make them knowledgeable. Fact. Vocational courses and apprenticeships allow students who don't have excellent exam technique to have value placed on their knowledge of a subject. Fact. If more students were encouraged to take a vocational route to qualification, students who do achieve well in exams will be able to learn, understand and flourish.

It wasn’t until I had completed my A levels (with little to show for them) that I discovered the true amount of quality vocational education available to students; that a vocational course CAN get you in to University, as well as giving you the tools to walk straight into a workplace; that A levels aren’t the only option.

Maybe it’s time our entire country stopped denigrating the value of vocational qualifications and worshipping A levels as the benchmark for success. Now graduates are working for minimum wage throughout the country, I want to laugh in the face of the lecturer that told me “If you do a vocational course now, you’ll still be stacking shelves in Tesco when you’re 30”.

How proud are you feeling?

Even with the huge successes we've seen in our national A level results this year, this week is quite simply going to be one of the most dismal many of our students will ever see. Not only will they have to contend with the media continuously devaluing their hard work to achieve A and B grades by accusing exam boards of "dumbing down", many students will have put all that hard work in only to find there are no places left for them at University. Tens of thousands of students who are more than capable of becoming graduates are being turned away by Universities thanks to the gaping hole left in Higher Education funding last year.

As the global economy continues to push young people out of employment, 5 out of 6 students who enter the clearing process this year will not find a place in Higher Education. And where are they supposed to go from there? I don't have an answer to that question; and it seems, neither do the government.

To top it all off, these students aren't even afforded the luxury of enjoying their success at A level. I know what it's like not to get the results you were hoping for in that little brown envelope, but I've also experienced achieving As at A level. And I can't say that it is much easier. In fact it may even be worse to be constantly told that the only possible explanation for your success is the low quality of the exams you are taking. How would these people prefer to measure the success of the UK's education system? Through my failure?

After the fantastic A level results that this country keeps coming out with, you'd think that we'd be world renowned for the quality of our Further Education. However, the majority of national media simply regurgitate the same predictable rubbish every year. Well I take pride in those students who have achieved the results they worked for over the past two years. I am proud to say that I come from a college with a 98% A level pass rate. I am proud of the lecturers who have supported me and my fellow students over what is possibly the toughest two years of our lives. I am proud to be a part of a college that celebrates success, not just because it makes them look good. But because they care.

And to all those people who aren't feeling very proud;

At the athletic championships last week we saw a man run the 100m faster than it had ever been run before. That doesn't mean they shortened the track.

Welcome to CCSU

So, this is my first blog as Cornwall College Student Union President. I've only been in the job four days but I've got some great ideas already.

I want to spend my year in office motivating Cornwall College Students to get involved in the Student Movement. It might sound boring, but your Student Union has an influence on real political decisions that have an effect on your day to day lives. Thanks to my involvement with the National Union of Students over the past two years, I've been asked by Shane Chowen (Vice President for Further Education) to take a place on the National Executive Council as FE Zone Committee Rep. This puts me in the middle of the strategic decision making of the NUS.

The NUS has a massive impact on both the media and government of the country, it is their job to work to Defend, Extend and Promote the rights of Students throughout the country. They lobby the government to make a difference for you; campaigning about increasing HE fees, course cuts in FE and lowering the voting age to 16.

The Students on the NEC have a real opportunity to make a difference, and through Cornwall College Student Union.. So will you.

Toni Pearce
Cornwall College Student Union President