MONMOUTH MP David Davies told school pupils yesterday "too many people are going to university", as they quizzed him about the potential increase in tuition fees.

Around 250 sixth formers from Monmouth Comprehensive School grilled their local Conservative MP on the UK government’s plans to allow English universities to charge up to £9,000 in fees a year.

Mr Davies told the meeting around 50 percent of the student-age population is currently doing degrees, but he thinks only one in three should go.

He said: "I think too many people are going to university, but that view is not being shared by any political party – it’s unique to me."

He also said some degrees were "pretty worthless" and not going to impress employers, while other courses were better suited to colleges than universities.

One pupil said he was concerned the move would worsen the country’s unemployment situation, as teenagers would be put off degree courses by the higher fees and need jobs.

Mr Davies said: "There are plenty of jobs out there, not necessarily in Monmouth, you might have to go to Newport or Cardiff.

"You have to be willing to go out there and look for it and take what’s on offer."

Anna Sullivan, 17, who plans to study fashion and marketing at Manchester University, suggested universities reduced courses from three to two years to cut costs and Mr Davies said he has "often wondered" why they have not.

Another suggestion made by pupils was to rise taxes for higher earners to cover the cost of fees, to which Mr Davies said the current taxation limit of 50 percent was high enough.

The MP reassured pupils that, under the proposals, they would not have to pay their fees up front or begin paying them back until they earned at least £21,000.

One pupil said this was unfair on lower income families, who could have to pay interest on their tuition fee debts, while richer families could pay for fees up front and avoid paying interest.

Around 40 of the sixth formers took part in a demonstration against the tuition fee proposals in Monmouth town centre on Wednesday, as part of a national day of protest by thousands of students across the country.