Consumer rights

My letter made John H. Arnold smile (“Contact assessment”, Letters, 11 July). His made me laugh. He argues that students are buying many hours of “notional contact” with their fees, which brings the cost down from £30 per hour to £7.50. I doubt they would be pleased to learn that they are being charged for the hours they spend studying alone, especially as this costs them extra in living expenses and the forfeiture of paid employment.

He goes on to argue that it is not good for students to see themselves as consumers. Does this mean they should not question what they get for their money? They are called tuition fees and that is what one would expect them to buy.

John Linfoot
Additional learning support
Bournemouth University