David Cameron Hits Out At 'Snobby' Students Who Are 'Fussy' About Their University Degrees

Cameron Criticises 'Snobby' Students
Prime Minister David Cameron gives a speech and answers questions at the Mini Plant Oxford, where he is holding a PM direct visit.
Prime Minister David Cameron gives a speech and answers questions at the Mini Plant Oxford, where he is holding a PM direct visit.
PA

Students are increasingly choosing degree courses based on the career prospects they offer, David Cameron said as he hit out at the "snobbery" aimed at some subjects.

The Prime Minister said the real worth of courses would be illustrated by the numbers enrolling on them as students became more demanding.

He said increased tuition fees had made students more "fussy" about the courses they were signing up to.

Speaking at the launch of new apprenticeship schemes at the Mini plant in Oxford, he said: "What's happened with degrees is, because we are asking students to make a bigger contribution in terms of fees and paying them back over their lives, I think students are getting more fussy about what it is they are putting themselves in for."

As well as questioning the way courses are taught, students also wanted to know about career prospects after they graduate.

Mr Cameron said there had been "snobbery" about courses such as "music studies or golf course management".

The Prime Minister, who studied politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford, said: "Frankly we are now going to find out which degrees really benefit people, because it will be young people choosing to study and doing that increasingly on the basis of 'what will it do for my career?'

"So I think we can get rid of that snobbery that there are some degrees intrinsically better than others.

"We will see what the results are."

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