Students' Winter of Discontent may be Coming

(from Cartoon: Steve Bell on Vince Cable's new stance on tuition fees | Opinion | The GuardianThe Guardian, 13 Oct 2010)

Until 1997, university students in England had enjoyed free tuition fees just like Nordic countries. In 1998, however, under the regime of Tony Blair's new labour, such universal free higher education came to an end, and the various tuition fees up to maximum 1,000 pound (≒14万円) were introduced. In 2006, the maximum amount of fees was raised up to 3,000 pound, and now to 3,290 pound. 　
Source: Wikipedia, Universities in the UK, Funding History

Although England's fee situation is now far from the idea of free education, it has seemed to be much more student-friendly than in Japan (though international students are usually charged more than three times larger than 3,290 pound). However, since the current Conservative government is said to present a new educational budget scheme within this month, which could cut the subsidy for universities by as much as two third, it is predicted that the maximum limit will be abolished, and most universities will have to raise the fees up to 6,000 or 7,000 pound.

Since such prediction was announced a few days ago by 'Lord Browes Review', a policy suggestion report for the future educational policy, this issue has raised heated debates here in England. Many university students as well as A-Level students are now very concerned about the upcoming increase of fees in such scales and criticize the coalition goverment (especially the Liberal Democrat, which had begged the support from students during the general election campaign by pledging no increase in fees). Another Winter of Discontent might come soon, this time brought not by trade unions but by youth and ordinary middle class people.