Toby Young’s identified why university applications are down – our favourite 19 responses

Here’s the always reliable right wing commentator Toby Young offering his hot take on why there aren’t as many people applying to go to university these days.

And let’s not forget that Young was chosen by the government to lead its new university watchdog until everyone else pointed out how inappropriate that would be.

Wondering why applications to universities are down? Because universities have stopped being about the transmission and expansion of knowledge and become left-wing madrassas. Who wants to pay £50,000 to be told they’re racist, sexist, transphobic, etc.? https://t.co/jBECUmu8nN

— Toby Young (@toadmeister) August 11, 2018

Universities just not racist is enough is a hot take we hadn’t come across before. And neither had this lot.

1.

or maybe it’s just the £50,000 bit? https://t.co/YLhCmAqshf

— tessa milligan (@tessmillsy) August 11, 2018

2.

Fuck off Young. Your dad got you a place at uni and your rich mates keep you in work. You add nothing to society.

— Pressgirl (@KPressgirl) August 11, 2018

3.

Or maybe because the Tories scrapped maintenance grants, trebled tuition fees and decimated support for part-time and mature students. Grow up.https://t.co/rdC7UEqMuu https://t.co/5LeLNlRV0K

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 11, 2018

4.

no one wants to pay over £50,000! that’s the point, extortionate fees and a life of debt is putting your people especially from poorer backgrounds from applying. 37000 courses in clearing last yr including medicine. We don’t all have your wealth & old boy connections

— mary whitby Cranky feral shock trooper 🌹 (@19MW98) August 11, 2018

5.

Wrong Again

1️⃣there was a fall in births in 2000 so fewer 18 yr olds
2️⃣ increased tuition fees, no maintenance grants etc are impacting on desire to go to Uni
3️⃣growth in apprenticeships & non Uni options

But why let evidence get in the way of fake news https://t.co/aWajBbZuw8

— nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) August 11, 2018

6.

Because not everyone can ask their Dad to get them in?

— John Rain (@MrKenShabby) August 11, 2018

7.

As @UniversitiesUK observed, the small drop in applications was largely due to a drop in the number of 18-year-olds. Universities need a regulator gurning out tired culture war tropes like a fish needs a bicycle. https://t.co/Ihef2Ealh6

— Steve Peers (@StevePeers) August 11, 2018

8.

Who wants to pay £50,000, be in lifelong debt and waste time studying with dimwits who only got in because of pleading from their influential dads.

— Nargis Walker #FinalSay #FBPE (@NargisWalker) August 11, 2018

9.

Of course they are not down in Scotland ,perhaps because we don’t charge £50,000. It could also be that we still believe in education as a societal ( not just individual) good, protect academic freedom , respect the power of ideas and value our long tradition of egalitarianism. https://t.co/hIQKUKurFi

— Michael Russell (@Feorlean) August 11, 2018

10.

Thanks for reminding us why you were wholly unsuited for that University Regulator role.

Goodness we all dodged a bullet there…

— Stephen Kinsella (@Kinsellas) August 11, 2018