Sorry, there is a bit of thread drift here.

Kat I don't particularly want to carry this on - but I do think I may be allowed a right of reply.

To put this into some sort of context, I did my degree as a mature student, between the ages of 36 and 39. Most mature students in my experience (over twenty years of it) do it for the love of learning and not for any particular vocational aspirations. As you might imagine with that background I place great value on education at all levels for everyone.

That has included people doing it for vocational reasons, people doing it for love of learning and those who for whatever reason had not followed the traditional route of school/"A" levels/University. None of my mature students had traditional qualifications,(if they had them they couldn't get on the course) many had specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia) and one, and I have referred to him before, was quadriplegic and needed 24 hour care.

Each one of those students worked extremely hard to get their degrees, many of them making enormous financial sacrifices and many of them received unbelievable support from partners and (often) family. The quadriplegic student had as you may imagine not only had to work hard but got amazing support from all sorts of people from those who fed him to those who maintained his complex technical support, to his wonderfully supportive parents and their belief in him, to help him to achieve his goals.

And then along comes Lizzie denigrating the value of those sacrifices and achievements and telling all who care to listen that the degrees they had all worked so hard for are not worth the paper they are written on.

Her own daughter - she tells us - is working for an OU degree.

Anyone who has done this at any level, saving money to pay for it, giving up time when they could be doing loads of other things and choosing instead to study, any one who has done that will know what sacrifices have to be made to achieve an OU degree.

And Lizzie tells her own daughter that degrees aren't worth the paper they are written on.

Yesterday as I was in the centre of Sheffield and I happened to be passing the City Hall as the SHU degree ceremony came out, with hundreds of students clutching their pieces of paper and their parents and in the case of mature students partners, sharing in their success.

What a shame Lizzie will never experience that pride in achievment with her own daughter or son, choosing instead to shout "Not worth the paper it is written on".