Sometimes during examinations, my siblings and I had to stand before the severe-looking nuns and beg them to allow us to take the exams even though our school fees weren't paid up.

有时考试的时候，由于我们没有付清学费，我们三个不得不站在表情严厉的修女面前求他们允许我们参加考试。

youdao

What's worse, most families 'incomes in our country are below the average level. The high fees make the people save money for the children's education even before they are born.

更严重的是，许多家庭的收入低于平均水平，有些父母甚至在孩子出生之前就开始攒钱。

youdao

Ironically, high-fee funds performed worse, even before fees.

FORBES: Na?ve Investors Taken to the Cleaners

But shadow universities minister Gareth Thomas accused the government of "ignoring the many independent experts who warned, even before the tuition fees vote, that universities would charge close to the maximum fee level".

BBC: Business questions

That is one reason why fees were under pressure even before the crisis.

ECONOMIST: Hedge funds in trouble