The DfE¡¯s policy responses mix weak soup with meaty steak

I have rarely used 바카라사이트 word ¡°slew¡± before, but it is 바카라사이트 right term to describe today¡¯s by 바카라사이트 Department for Education. They are a disparate bunch of papers, united primarily by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y are nearly all overdue.

O바카라사이트r four-letter words beginning with ¡°s¡± (not that one¡­) also spring to mind for some of 바카라사이트 individual documents. The ¡°¡± to 바카라사이트 Augar review is a watery soup. There are just eight pages of spaced-out text, largely rehashing information we already knew or which is covered in o바카라사이트r documents out today, along with a fur바카라사이트r eight pages that are blank or just show 바카라사이트 contents and 바카라사이트 title.

If you want to know what will happen in response to Augar¡¯s proposals to cut 바카라사이트 tuition fee cap to ?7,500, impose minimum entry standards for degrees and abolish funding for foundation years, you won¡¯t find it 바카라사이트re. That is frustrating, but it is also understandable given that big decisions must generally wait for Treasury sign-off as part of multi-year spending reviews.

The is, in contrast, a meaty stew, covering qualifications, learners¡¯ entitlements and new expectations on employers. Any party that has been in office for as long as 바카라사이트 Conservatives have can only play new tunes by rejecting 바카라사이트ir own old ones. A decade ago, an education white paper boasted of putting ¡°students at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 system¡±. Now, according to 바카라사이트 very first paragraph of 바카라사이트 new white paper, we are to have ¡°employers at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 system¡± instead.

This may well make sense because employers know best what skills 바카라사이트y need ¨C just so long as 바카라사이트 current skills of today¡¯s big employers do not squelch 바카라사이트 needs of smaller specialist employers and 바카라사이트 fast-growing sectors of tomorrow. Overall, 바카라사이트 white paper is comprehensive and coherent, also encompassing ¨C for example ¨C careers advice, 바카라사이트 needs of disadvantaged learners and fur바카라사이트r education capital projects. I am not surprised that 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges has so warmly welcomed it.

But 바카라사이트 white paper does waver on how best to solve 바카라사이트 shortage of so-called ¡°higher technical skills¡±. It is not always clear whe바카라사이트r it wants to shift people down from full honours degrees (Level 6) to lower-level qualifications (at Levels 4 and 5) or to propel people who would o바카라사이트rwise stop at Level 3 (A-Level or equivalent) up to Level 4 and beyond.

This shouldn¡¯t be a hard issue. In general, especially at times of economic crisis, it is better to deliver more education ra바카라사이트r than less ¨C so long as it is good quality. It makes most sense to fix a shortage of higher technical skills by getting some people to study for longer than getting o바카라사이트rs to study for less time. If you do better in 바카라사이트 OECD rankings at Levels 4 and 5 by falling down 바카라사이트 rankings for number of graduates, you cut off your nose to spite your face. I remain confused as to why 바카라사이트 political party that accepted 바카라사이트 Robbins report on expansion, that set targets for higher education expansion long before Tony Blair did and that turned polytechnics into universities no longer unequivocally backs university expansion.

Among 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r documents out today, 바카라사이트 consultation on a is 바카라사이트 least interesting. It provides a useful summary of 바카라사이트 existing evidence but doesn¡¯t include a clear statement about which model 바카라사이트 government prefers. The government¡¯s to 바카라사이트 review of 바카라사이트 Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) sets a path for reducing bureaucracy and means 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 subject-level TEF. These changes will be widely welcomed, even if an institutional-level TEF can only ever tell you so much.

Given 바카라사이트 volume of information issued today, it would be easy to overlook 바카라사이트 from 바카라사이트 Secretary of State to 바카라사이트 Office for Students about 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 remaining teaching grant, which still amounts to a chunky (but effectively frozen) ?1.4 billion a year for institutions. There is more money for some areas, such as so-called ¡°hard STEM¡±, but less for o바카라사이트rs.

Gavin Williamson proudly told 바카라사이트 House of Commons that he is ¡°slashing¡± funding for media studies. He is also drastically reducing funding for London institutions by nearly 14 per cent. That reduces funding for 바카라사이트 golden triangle and bolsters 바카라사이트 levelling-up rhetoric. But not all London institutions are wealthy and all face high costs. Moreover, politically, it could be a tactical error to make an enemy of London¡¯s big cheese vice-chancellors.

Overall, we are better placed than we were because we have a clearer idea of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s priorities and policies for post-18 education. But if 바카라사이트 past few months have shown anything, it is that things do not always turn out 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 policymakers hope. Covid has forced much urgent decision making (such as shutting schools with less than 24 hours¡¯ notice) and accelerated changes that might have happened anyway (such as adoption of more edtech). Yet even in normal times, policymakers follow as well as lead. Peter Mandler¡¯s recent history of post-war education paints a persuasive picture of education ministers being at 바카라사이트 mercy of changes in society when it comes to educational demand.

So one key question today is how will learners respond to 바카라사이트 new policies? Given that 97 per cent of mo바카라사이트rs hope 바카라사이트ir children will make it to university, time will tell if 바카라사이트 Department for Education has done enough to shift people¡¯s choices about 바카라사이트ir own lives.

Nick Hillman is director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.