Brexit: Britons Face The Economic Pinch
Britain voted to ditch the EU, and their currency fell by 13% of its value against the euro. That means the cost of Europe vacations for Britons will be higher than usual, so will be the foods like meat, cheese, wine, etc. which is exported from other parts of Europe. Not to mention gas which has become expensive.
The Britons have not taken the inflation lightly and have started to show more support to the Labour party in the parliamentary elections. The economy currently due to Brexit is weak, the prices are high, but the wages have not gone up. Mr. Stampton, who is a resident of London voted for a party which advocated for Brexit but is a traditional voter for Conservatives. The pound value has made him resort to check out the parks of South London instead of sun-kissed beaches in Greece for a yearly summer vacation.
The economy has not grown a great deal compared to the previous quarter last year. It has only seen a 2% growth in this quarter. Majority of the economic activity in Britain is made up of consumer spending, so when the ordinary people are in trouble, they spend less and hence becomes decisive for the economy. The average worker has to wade through the high prices of daily consumer goods coupled with no increase in wages. Some economists are expecting the country to fall into a recession as they expect the economy to grow by 1.5 to 1,7 percent annually over the next couple of years.
Research reveals that the credit card balances are 10% higher than compared to the same time last year. That according to the Bank Of England is the fastest growth in a decade, and this is a cause for concern. Consumers will soon exhaust all sources of money as the paychecks are deflated due to inflation. Borrowing is growing faster than real incomes, and that means the consumers will not be able to keep the economy going with the wages, not in pace with inflation.
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Education Fair- Things To Find out
Colleges and Universities as part of the recruitment process send their representatives to other countries to meet and explain about the opportunities they offer to prospective students at education fairs. These events also give the students a chance to know more about the education system in general and also about the institutes they are interested in applying.
Students should be prepared by making a list of queries they want to be answered before coming to the Education or a college fair. They should take the help of family and friends to ask for inputs while creating that list. Below are a few questions students should consider checking out at the fair. This list can help students get started.
Academics: Students should fill in the subject of their choice while listing
● The opportunities that I will have if I major in (X)at your college.
● Difference between your program and the other similar programs offered in other colleges?
● Can I change my major?
● Can I take a break for a semester to come back home and resume my studies.?
Financial aid:
● The total expenditure for each year to attend your college.
● Other fees and costs apart for tuition fee.
● Is there any scholarship for international students, if so what is it?
● Deadline for admission and scholarship
● Percentage of scholarship
● How many international students get financial aid and what is the average amount.?
Preparation:
● Examples of internships the students of your college have for majoring in (X)
● Can someone help me find an internship?
● Please explain how your program will help in achieving my career aspirations.
● What placement opportunities are available at your school for international students.?
● How will the VISA process be. ?
Students should seek out representatives from various college and universities and ask for an introduction if they are not familiar with it. A student should not be hesitant to say that I have not heard of you, please tell me more. The executives will be happy to tell you.
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Is The Education System At Risk Due To Cutbacks
England Schools are expected to save £3bn as per the National Association of Headteachers. That they say can be a significant threat to the education systems stability. Ministers say that the school funds are protected, but Russell Hobby who is the General Secretary of that association begs to differ. Though the Education Department said that the funding is at a high, the Institute of Fiscal studies is the belief that there is more than what meets the eye. There are cost pressures that are impacting the funding. As per the research that they have published recently, they need an extra £2bn between 2017 and 2022 to maintain the schools at the current level.
Reality check: The education department wants the school to make savings close to £1.7bn, so when the government claims that the funding is at a record high, it does not tell the complete story. The department does not account the impact on the per-student fund as well as other cost pressures as per the director of Education at IFS, Luke Sibieta.
The general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers spoke from the annual conference in Telford and said that there are many organizations that are facing this cost pressure and affecting the effective management of schools, but the government is still singing the same tune of schools getting high funding. The schools have to manage the additional expenses of Insurance and contributions to pension coupled with rising costs which is creating a lot of cash crunch. The association is continually highlighting the situation along with teacher unions about the financial issues schools are facing. The government meanwhile refuses to admit it, and hence the schools in the UK are at risk.
The National Audit has estimated that schools have to pay £3bn as payout between 2015 to 2020. With such numbers being projected, more than 70% of the schools said there would be a cash crunch in 2019 to 2020, and More than 18% said that they were already short of cash.