Teachers and Nurses

Teachers and nurses. Both, would you not say, a vital part of the
smooth running of this country? I certainly would. And the
government and ministries certainly think so, if you pay any
attention to the recruitment strategies aimed at both sectors. But
not, maybe, in practise.

Let us go through some of the inequities of the funding systems.

PGCE students will get a training salary of either £6,000 or £9,000.
Nursing students will get a maximum of £5,500 bursary (single, no
children) with some getting as low as £1,000.

PGCE students, as postgraduates, are entitled to a further student
loan.
Students on postgraduate nursing courses are not entitled to students
loans. Only some students on undergraduate nursing courses are
entitled to student loans (unlike all other types of undergraduates).

PGCE students get their existing student loans paid off.
Postgraduate nurses with existing student loans do not get them paid
off.

PGCE students in shortage subjects have a healthy, relaxed hardship
fund system to support them.
Nursing students (and some PGCE students) have only a restrictive
fund that in the case of postgraduates takes no account of reality.

Of course we then come to the body that funds the nurses, the NHS
Student Grants Unit. Good, honest people who are completely under
resourced and completely incapable of assessing students for support
before their courses start, or even within three months of their
courses starting in many cases, and incapable of assessing
applications fully or correctly.

Why are nursing students so badly treated compared to their
compatriots in teaching? The PGCE system seems reasonable, so why
can't the nurses be treated in a similar fashion?