{"id":14455,"date":"2021-09-17T11:46:58","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T10:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.economicsobservatory.com\/?post_type=question&p=14455"},"modified":"2021-09-17T13:36:53","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T12:36:53","slug":"growing-pains","status":"publish","type":"question","link":"https:\/\/www.economicsobservatory.com\/test\/growing-pains","title":{"rendered":"Growing pains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Newsletter from 17 September 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young people have endured a torrid 18 months. While no age group has been spared the pains of the pandemic, children, teenagers and young adults have been handed a particularly raw deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classrooms have closed, leaving many kids isolated from their friends and behind on their schoolwork. The university experience, usually carrying the promise of being some of the best years of people\u2019s lives, has been stripped down to a restricted imitation. And for those trying to launch their career and secure a first job, the future continues to look uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pupils of all ages were back in schools and colleges last week. And with record numbers of new undergraduates anxiously awaiting the start of term, this week at the Observatory we revisited some of the economic challenges facing young people today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have also continued to explore the next big questions facing the UK economy, including climate change \u2013 a threat for which young people may once again be forced to bear the brunt<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can't get no satisfaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Last Tuesday, Ben Pimley (University of Bristol) explored how universities might improve student satisfaction<\/a> amid the increasing use of online and blended learning. Ben highlights how first year undergraduates have struggled acutely during the pandemic, with 30% saying that they had a worse experience than expected, with the primary reason being a lack of face-to-face teaching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Student Survey (run by the Office for Students), in 2021 course satisfaction fell to a record low of 75% \u2013 down from 83% the previous year. Similarly, data from the Student Academic Experience Survey shows that only 27% of students surveyed thought their course was good value for money this year. This is the lowest score ever recorded and down nearly half on 2012 levels (when \u00a39,000 tuition fees were introduced). This is the first time in the survey\u2019s history that more respondents have said they felt their course has been poor value then good value for money (see Figure 1 below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 1: Value for money of your present course<\/h4>\n\n\n
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