# FILE NAME: 00002302.soc
# TITLE: Should the government encourage people to go into higher education? [9a75b308853e6a423f70a716b1fb257b]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 5
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - In general, the government should encourage people to go into higher education. This is because we can see that people who have a degree earn more than people who don't. We can also see that a more educated workforce leads to a more skilled workforce, which earns more, and therefore pays more tax. This is good for the country. However, there are some downsides. For example, there is a lot of pressure on young people to go into higher education, and many people who go into higher education end up in a lot of debt. Also, not all degrees are equally good. Some lead to well-paid jobs, but others lead to low-paid jobs. Therefore, the government should make it easier for people to go into higher education, but should also make it clear that it is not for everyone. It should also make sure that it does not put too much pressure on young people to go into higher education, and that it does not make it seem like the only option.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - The government should encourage people to go into higher education, but not solely. The government should also promote vocational training and apprenticeships as these can be just as beneficial to the individual and the country as a whole. The government should also ensure that there is an adequate support network in place for people that do go into higher education. This can include financial support, but also support networks for mental health and wellbeing. The government should also ensure that there is a wide variety of higher education courses available, so that people can find the course that is right for them.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - The government should encourage people to go into higher education, but not solely. The government should also promote vocational training and apprenticeships as these can be just as beneficial to the individual and the country as a whole. The government should also ensure that there is an adequate support network in place for people that do go into higher education. This can include financial support, but also support networks for mental health and wellbeing. The government should also ensure that there is a wide variety of higher education courses available, so that people can find the course that is right for them. Conclusion: All participants felt that the final consensus statement was a good representation of the overall views of the group.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - The government should not solely encourage people to go into higher education. Whilst higher education can be a great opportunity to learn new skills and can be key in landing certain jobs it also comes with downsides like the large amounts of debt you rack up. For many people alternatives like apprenticeships where they can learn practical skills on the job and start earning straight out of college are the better option. It should be the governments job to present the full spectrum of post GCSE and A-level options so that individuals can choose the option which fits them.
1: 1,2,4,3
1: 1,4,2,3
1: 4,3,2,1
1: 3,2,1,4
1: 1,3,2,4