kungfustu

36% of 18 year olds started a university degree the 2nd year after fees went up to 9k....the proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds also increased.....in England disadvantaged kids were 7-% more likely to goto university in 2013 than 2004.....so it kind of puts to bed the theory that poor families will suffer more. There are now some pretty useless degrees on offer.....media springs to mind.....but that should not detract from those degrees students seek in order to become a Teacher, Doctor, Solicitor, Engineer etc etc.....there are still thousands of students studying for good careers that offer good prospects and good salaries. More degrees and more educated adults does not mean a drop in standards.....its like saying lets not try and aspire to countries like Finland, South Korea or Japan because by doing so we are just lowering our standards by allowing too many kids a good education.....incidentally the UK finishes quite high on the world list for best educations. again.....people just bl##dy moaning and whinging......its like a virus on this website.

In the 70's......hello.....its 2015 now mate. student loans do not count as outgoings.....they will not affect any future borrowing ie mortgages etc.....check your facts. The rest sounds like a rant that I cannot be arsed to read or reply to.....sorry.

I do not know anyone that can afford to pay for their childs university education upfront or even after they have finished their degree.....a university education has always been paid via grants and loans.....that is unless you attended Harrow or Eton and your parents are extremely well off which if we are being honest does not include the vast majority of normal people in the UK.....so traditionaly a university education is paid in most by the student with the use of government grants and loans once they have finished their degree.....the government in charge is saying......we are no longer offering a 4k grant to the lowest earners.....in its place we will offer loans that will give as much and if not more that can be paid back after the degree has finished and once the student is in full time work earning 21k or more....if after 30 years they have not been paid off they will be wiped clean.....is that difficult to understand??

So lets get this right.....are you saying that even our friends tup north are working and enjoying their 2 week holidays in spain.....that is just outrageous.

I know....its outrageous isn't it........

the UK is well and truly "open for business" we are performing better than any other European nations and the outlook is for that to continue.....there are plenty of jobs available and everyone still goes on holiday......

It is a shame the government have said they will be taking away the 4k grant.....it was available to families earning under 24k or 25k.....it is being replaced with a loan so the funding is still there and should not form a basis for anyone not going to Uni.....I suspect there are other reasons for your godson not wanting to go to Uni......the loans that students get are only paid back once the student is in full time work and earning over 21k.....they are also wiped out after 30 years whether or not they have been paid back so most students probably wont pay back the full amount they borrowed.....they are not considered debt so do not affect any future lending ie mortgages etc. It certainly is "education for all" if you want it.

Glad you made it back home safe.....We have also flown Malaysian a number of times and never experienced an unpleasant smell.....I think most of the long haul airlines offer a great service but then I am not the complaining type and always try and look for the positives......I'm the same as K&L and never have the fast food crap available at airports....the wife and kids love them though....I always prefer to hunt out a shop selling sandwiches and get my self a drink.

wow.....there goes your halo......so you are "one of us" after all.

No one jumped on anyones posting.....this is a public forum where views and opinions are expressed......? Why complain? that was my original question.....you enter a GP's surgery where the person requesting assistance is not registered and does not live in this country. Those are the facts, now I am guessing that they were probably full and had no appointments but I think I am prob correct in saying that.....so what happened next?......all you said was an argument followed about being told you would have to pay at the walk-in-clinic.....obviously you new that was not the case so why not just go to the walk-in-clinic if the GP's cant see you....same service.....same result.....my guess is you didn't like the fact you was told by the receptionist that you/your son could not be seen and started demanding to see someone due to this "reciprocal" agreement......the latter is speculation as you have not said what happened.....I responded to what you did say.....and still say....why complain about being given a small bit of incorrect info when it had little or no effect on the outcome anyway...... If your boy was seriously ill you would call an ambulance.....so lets not get hung up on what could happen with a Kidney infection.....

Thanks @simmo..... No one is trying to cause an argument.....defend or attack anything......what is really sad here is that it is becoming impossible on this forum to question anything someone else says without being persecuted, accused of being a hater or trouble maker, being told to "get a life" (twice) or being called an idiot......well maybe thats what the problem was in the first place.....with such a bitter approach and attitude is it any wonder the receptionist behaved as she did......? My understanding is GP's surgeries are very busy places.....booked up most of the time.....bl##dy hell most of you slate the place because apparently we have to wait 3 weeks to see a GP.....well if thats the case why should a receptionist let someone that does not even live in this country jump the queue and see a GP ahead of residents for a minor ailment when there are Walk-in-centers and A&E centers available......that was all I was trying to say.....it seemed the OP took some pleasure out of complaining because he posted a smiley face after he said it.....I do not like "complaining" hence I questioned why go to all the trouble of doing so?

a GP's surgery? You have to be registered at a GP's to see a dr.....unless its an emergency then I am sure they would have seen you......we have walk-in-clinics for minor probs and A&E if its an emergency.......I dont know why or how you came to be having a disagreement with the GP's receptionist but if you know you are entitled to free care then just head off to the walk-in-clinic and get it.....The GP's was probably already fully booked so did not have space anyway......more than likely a mis-communications.....I still think to complain is going a little over the top....too many people now-a-days are only to happy to complain......me personally I am not the complaining type so would just get on with it as it seems you eventually did......hope your boy got the care he needed.....our NHS is the best in the world you know.....us in the UK are very lucky.

why complain? I'm sure the receptionist was just trying to help.....all that will come of this is the receptionists gets a boll#king.....whats that gonna solve.....you got treated.

Stealth and Swarm are the two to head for.....go for the front seat queue.....its well worth it.....avoid the backwards queue on Swarm, last year I went with my 10 year old and we went on Swarm about 6 times and Stealth about 4 (the park was surprisingly quiet) front row every time...on our last go on Swarm we decided to do it backwards.....big mistake.....it was horrible and we both felt ill after....I took this of my boy on his first go on Stealth.....front row :

Sounds like a bargain to me! dunno about the bread.....we have never had any probs with bread going moldy after a couple of days unless its out of date or not stored correctly.

All those hoons can't help.....wheel spinning their cars through the burbs at all hours.....also the poor general condition of their cars will also have an effect.....no MOT's and the "fix everything" mind set.

Spain......forget Spain....have you ever been to Turkey?......I honestly find it hard to believe that they are worse drivers than the Turks....I worked out there for a while and getting in a car there was like doing a couple of laps in a banger race.

poodle couldn't contain itself any longer?

I don't get the "coffee culture" thing at all.....if you go to Italy its either a standard black coffee or an expresso little one, super strong and super sweet....all this latte and cappuccino rubbish with cream and all the bells and whistles???.....its all a gimmick to make money. I was driving home from Glastonbury yesterday having had about 8 hrs sleep in the past 4 days.....I was drifting off too sleep whilst driving so stopped in a motorway service station.....went into starbucks and asked for a cup of coffee.....what followed was the most ridiculous conversation I have had in a while asking if I want a latte....cream....long....short.....a cup of coffee please.....latte on the bottom.....coffee on top then milk?......no!.....a cup of coffee......oh.....an americano......whats that (i said).....its coffee and milk.....@#/#!.......seriously......and I paid £2.75 for it!......what a rip off that was.....just unbelievable that coffee has come to this.....I dont get. My view is.....forget about this migrant Italian influence.....this is about large American corporate business being welcomed into Australia because Australians want to be like Americans.

Amen to that!

I don't get why so many on here are so eager to slate the NHS....most of you don't even live in this country and work in it any more....you left years ago. I have just been trying to get some info on the NHS and it is surprisingly difficult.....mainly because of the size of the organisation, I think I read its the third biggest employer/organisation in the world....it has over 370 NHS organisations making up Hospitals and trusts.....it has over 7500 general practices.....1.5million people are seen by it every day!.....most organisations are operating in the black.....I think I read that 8% of hospitals are operating in the red. Have look at the links below to get some idea of the size of it. A list of hospitals in England: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hospitals_in_England A list of Trusts in England: http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/pages/acutetrustlisting.aspx In England we have about 50 million people and the NHS gets about 100 billion a year.....have a look at this : http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/simple-nhs-guide.pdf In any organisation the size of the NHS there are going to be parts that are not performing well.....stoke and Stafford A&E keep getting a mention as some guide to how the NHS is performing.....well they are miniscule in comparison to the size of the organisation.....lets not keep on running the place down.....I have been visiting this website for about 5 years and back when I first joined the NHS was on its knees....about to collapse under the weight....was only a matter of time before it was privatised.....it all gets a bit tiresome after 5 years or more of the same dribble. My experiences of the NHS have only been good.....long may that continue......I certainly wouldn't want to be under any other countries health services.

Not a lot of sympathy for the Greeks.....I have paid my taxes for 25 years.....if their people did the same they probably wouldn't be in this mess.

You can only speak from experience.....I have never said the Oz education system was rubbish.....however this was one of the reasons we decided to return to the UK.....the schools available to our boys in the UK were just far superior to the schools available where we lived in Oz.....we felt that a UK type qualification and education (GCSE's & A Levels) would be better for them.

That is not true, here in England our education system denies 16 year olds the opprtunity to "drop out".......all kids have to either stay on in education be it 6th form or college.....if not then they must do an apprentiship of some description.....they cannot just leave at 16 and sign on.

Most independant experts do not think they can balance their books though.....I remember reading/hearing not long after the recent Scottish referendom that had they voted for independence the sudden drop in oil prices last year would have almost bankrupt them. The IFS question whether they can afford to run an independant Scotland.....suggesting an annual 8 billion deficit could cause one or two problems. This piece by Boris Johnston goes some way to explaining why the English where so against a Labour/SNP government and ultimately resulted in the Conservatives landslide victory last Thursday/Friday......as Boris says.....if Labour/SNP had triumphed we would be staring down the barrel at the inevitable break up of the union and tragically all those UKIP voters would realise that any Labour/SNP partnership will inevitably be turning the UK into a "Former" UK and their party would forever be known as the "FUKIP".... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11548389/If-Ed-Milibands-in-the-driving-seat-Nicola-Sturgeon-will-be-steering-him-to-the-Left.html