Not everyone in the world is taking off for a long holiday weekend. Today was the State Opening for British Parliament. I caught a few minutes of the BBC replay on C-SPAN and the event is rife with ceremony and tradition–most of which I probably didn’t grasp.
A part of Queen Elizabeth II’s speech which appears to have garnered a fair amount of discussion regards education:
A Bill will be introduced to enable more young people to benefit from higher education.
Upfront tuition fees will be abolished for all full-time students and a new Office for Fair Access will assist those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Universities will be placed on a sound financial footing.
This comes against the background of wide-spread opposition toward plans to raise university fees.
It seems as if Britain is facing some of the same problems as we face across the pond in America. Apparently a lottery system isn’t always a cure-all.