I work for a university and have been told that school fees in England are slated to rise to £9,000 per year. The UK economy is forcing students into higher education they can't afford. Your children we will all be indentured servants to the banks.

Mrs. A, Edinburgh, UK

Why this obsession with university for all? For 90% of the population a university education is a waste of time. That's why we had such things as technical colleges and vocational courses.
Just because someone isn't an academic, it doesn't make their education a failure.

Phil Bailey, Shrewsbury, UK

I went to Bristol uni and my friends and I discussed this issue with a range of tutors. The truth is that many unis are under gov pressure to accept students with lower grades from state schools to meet gov attendance targets. The gov should raise education standards, not lower entry grade targets!

Laura, woking, surrey

This is a joke. The figure that the government literally plucked out of the air of 50% of 18 year olds going to university is madness. We need the brightest kids to do courses of worth to society, not hordes of media studies students with no job prospects, masses of debt and unrealistic expectations

Stephen, Norwich, Norfolk

This proposal is a nonsense. Schools would be required to direct under-achieving pupils towards degree courses of little worth. Which is the better school: one where a degree in media studies is perceived to be of great value, or one where a degree in mathematics is held in high regard?

Des, Edinburgh,

I teach at a college in a poor area, and many of our students do well to achieve quite low A levels. They are strongly encouraged to go to university, but many will work hard, incur huge debts, and still end up with non-graduate jobs. Are we doing them a real favour by pushing them to university?

Gill , Southampton, UK

I am horrified by this latest proposal.
Schools will be exerting even more pressure on pupils to go to university.

Jenny, Reading,

Going to university used to be a great privilege, and pleasure, so obviously the universities had to be made comprehensive. Can't have an able minority enjoying themselves, can we?
Now it's an expensive obligation, which few really enjoy, and confers very little advantage on them - so that's ok!

Gill , Southampton, UK

The educational debate is incredible! Perhaps it is time for UK to look at the rest of the world - they all seem to be more together when it comes to their education AND the children are allowed to actually enjoy being children!!!!!! Time to get a grip?

Yvonne, London,

That's right Labour, just keep labelling everyone a failure. In fact put all these educational league tables in neon lights for all to see. The incompetence and lack of understanding is terrifying. Labour won't be happy until the middle classes are well and truly discriminated against.

judy, Liverpool, England

Disgusting. A year ago, students were already being bullied into applying for university at my 6th form, because of government targets.

Teens who are forced into it end up quitting, and the university dropout rate will soar.

It's just not everyone's cup of tea

wiltshire wurzel, swindon,

Great idea! Lets encourage more youngsters to run up debts of £30000 + by the age of 22.
So they can spend the rest of their lives working to pay off the student loan, mortgage etc etc.
Enter the public sector where pay rises are pinned back to levels below inflation. University anyone?

Newman, hailsham, sussex

Why does the government insist on interfering in areas where they have no experience and add no value. First the proposal to test 5 year old ! and now this. Take a look around and see countries producing successfuly talent ( India surprisingly in a good example ) and copy them. No bureaucracy !

Chottu, Singapore,

Why do we need Comprehensive Universities ? The largest single employer of graduates is the public sector; are we going to expand it further ?

CCTV, Bristol, England

Yet another piece of interfering bureaucracy that will make things worse. The way to improve schools is easy: give parents a free choice of schools and allow schools to run themselves without interference, as in the independent schools. Schools will have to improve or they will have no pupils.

George, Bolton, England