On the subject of student debts (Student debt is a generational injustice. Why are we squeezing graduates harder than the super-rich?, 16 February), Gaby Hinsliff writes: “If the government has better options, then let’s hear them sooner rather than later.” Any better option must address the problem that the courses that universities offer – brilliant though they mostly are – aren’t what the economy needs and so aren’t maximising returns.
Universities are funded to offer the courses students want to study, not what society and employers value most. Understandably, young people pursue choices based on their ambitions rather than the national interest. This creates an oversupply in forensic science, for instance, and skills shortages in engineering.
