Letter: No university place for Polonius today

Sir: Today's 'leak' concerning the possibility of charging university students part of their fees, and suggesting that they should borrow to pay this, indicates again that the Government is totally committed to the idea that coming generations should ignore Polonius's sage advice in Hamlet, 'Neither a borrower nor a lender be'.

This is advice which the Government itself is desperately trying to adopt, perhaps remembering how the speech continues: 'For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.' It cannot be good that most graduates should start their careers in debt, and that they should consider being in debt a normal state of affairs.

The Conservative Government has been tinkering with the universities throughout its existence. Having encouraged expansion in recent years, it is now planning to halt this. It will certainly succeed if even only a small proportion of potential students care to take heed of Polonius's advice]

Yours faithfully,

LUKE HERRMANN

Market Harborough,

Leicestershire

6 December