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In any society there are ‘elite’ positions that command a high income and, more importantly, high status. Unsurprisingly, there is intense competition for these positions. But what happens when a society turns out more people qualified for these roles than the number of roles actually on offer? On this week’s podcast, the IEA’s Head of Education Dr Steve Davies discusses what he calls the ‘over-production of elites’ in society. The problem, he explains, is that elitism, unlike many things, is a zero-sum game – to be in the elite means you are not like 90 per cent or more of the population as a whole. As a result, the ever-increasing number of UK university graduates or American PHDs students leads to bitter resentment towards those with similar qualifications, who have managed to secure elite jobs. Steve talks about how elitism affects our views of a fair society, what it means for the concept of meritocracy, and how societies go about addressing perceived issues of unfairness.

In this episode of Policy Matters, host Matt Dickson talks to Laura van der Erve from the Institute for Fiscal Studies about the merits of doing a university degree, and what recent evidence suggests are the relative labour market returns to degrees in different subjects at different institutions. With almost 50% of young people in England going on to Higher Education, and with tuition fees of £9,250 for most courses, it has never been more important to understand the impact on earnings of studying different subjects and at different HE institutions. Laura describes recent research from the IFS looking at graduate outcomes and explains some of the difficulties in pinning down the impact of a particular course on later earnings and employment. They then discuss social gradients in attending university and the extent to which inequalities have been impacted by changes in tuition fees. Finally, talk turns to thinking about the sorts of things students need to know in advance in order to make an informed decision about where to apply and what to study, how the government can help with this, and the limits of information provision as a policy.

Adam chats with Gavin Ucko, the founder and managing director of The Happy Puzzle Company, about how learning through games and puzzles can out-perform classroom-style education. What is it about learning through play that makes it so effective, and how do you tap into the potential of people with different types of intelligence?

Ever wanted to get the experience of trading stocks without the risk of losing your money? One new option is the Invstr App. Created by former Deutsche Bank Managing Director Kerim Derhalli the app allows users to trade on real markets, in real time, but with virtual money. This year Kerim's launching the Student Investment Championships using the app to get more young people interested in investing. Our reporter Tom Hill joined Kerim for the launch of the championships to find out what it's all about.

How much pocket money should children get? We're hearing the average is £7.55 for 8 to 11 year-olds and £9.01 for 12 to 16 year-olds. But when should children start getting money and how can it be used to teach them about finance?

This week financial journalists Lindsay Cook and Anne Caborn take on landlords letting out properties with low energy efficiency ratings- new legislation may mean they have to start making improvements to get up to scratch. Plus we find out why airlines are being awarded the Sucker Punch this week and negotiate the topic of pocket money.

Georgie Frost is joined by Share Radio's senior analyst Ed Bowsher. Today they discuss the market reaction to the Bank of England's latest bond buying spree as well as the problems with the government's Help to Buy ISA. Plus are teenagers more financially focused than their parents? Yes according to a new report. All these stories and more on The News Review.

Students across the country nervously await their A-Level results, and start to look ahead to the big decisions they have to make in the coming months... New research has revealed what subjects parents are encouraging their children to study and where - but also whether employability is a big factor. To discuss further, June Hughes, a Registrar at the University of Derby and member of the Association of Heads of University joined the Morning Money team ahead of the A-Level results.

Members of the National Union of Teachers across England are to strike over pay and working conditions. There's also a level of uncertainty surrounding the potential effects of post-Brexit Britain on the education system. Matt Cox spoke to Jerry Glazier, a member of the National Union of Teachers Executives, who explained the motivations behind the strike.

If your son or daughter is planning to go to university in the autumn, are you planning on how you'll help them pay for it? Are you going to be supporting them with help towards their rental costs or will you be paying some of their bills? And if you're off to university, are you wondering how much debt you'll leave with? Sarah Pennells is joined by Annie O'Leary from the parenting website Netmums, Jane King who's from Ash-ridge financial planning and James Seymour who's from the Complete University Guide.