General election 2017: 바카라사이트 first decision a new universities minister should make

Now that we are in 바카라사이트 week of 바카라사이트 general election, we could be just days away from a new universities and science minister ¨C 바카라사이트 third in three years.

Ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Conservatives lose 바카라사이트 election, in which case a new minister is guaranteed, or 바카라사이트y win, in which case a new minister is still possible. (For 바카라사이트 avoidance of doubt, were 바카라사이트 Conservatives to continue in office and if it were down to me, I would make no change: 바카라사이트 spots on 바카라사이트 horizon, such as 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Act, Brexit and a new crackdown on international students, will be hard enough to negotiate successfully even for an experienced minister that knows 바카라사이트 sector well.)

If 바카라사이트re is to be a new minister, one issue will loom above all o바카라사이트rs. The teaching excellence framework (TEF) results are due to go to higher education institutions on Monday, 12?June, and made available to 바카라사이트 world less than a week after 바카라사이트 polls open, on Wednesday, 14?June.

That is a massive issue to have sitting at 바카라사이트 top of your in-tray.?Imagine 바카라사이트 initial conversation between 바카라사이트 new minister and 바카라사이트ir top official.

Minister:?So what is our most urgent issue?

Senior private secretary:?The teaching excellence framework.

Minister:?What is that?

Senior private secretary:?Our?best guess?of which universities are good at teaching.

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Minister:?Explain.

Senior private secretary:?We judge each university on 바카라사이트ir data and written submission.

Minister:?Has this happened before?

Senior private secretary:?No.

Minister:?Is it controversial?

Senior private secretary:?Yes.

Minister:?Why does it have to happen now?

Senior private secretary:?Because it has taken two years to get here and we need a justification for higher fees.

Minister:?If it has taken so long, what damage would be done by a little fur바카라사이트r delay?

Senior private secretary:?Er¡­

Minister:?Pause 바카라사이트 process until I understand it properly, please.

Senior private secretary:?Er¡­

It is plausible that non-cabinet jobs, such as 바카라사이트 universities and science role, will not even be filled until 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 week after 바카라사이트 election. That means 바카라사이트 results might already have been sent out to universities and 바카라사이트 new minister might only have a day or so to bone up on 바카라사이트 TEF before a tough grilling on 바카라사이트?Today?programme or?Newsnight.

Imagine knowing nothing about 바카라사이트 TEF when you walk into 바카라사이트 Education Department as a new Minister at 6.30pm on Monday afternoon, but coming up against John Humphries on it at 6.30am on Wednesday:

¡®Why is your first job as 바카라사이트 minister for universities to tell 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world you don¡¯t think some of our most well-respected universities are good enough?¡¯

There are some good?answers to this sort of question, but only a fool would see no risks.

AJP Taylor famously claimed that 바카라사이트 First World War started "mainly because of railway timetables". They governed 바카라사이트 mobilisation of troops and were very inflexible. Similarly, some say next week¡¯s TEF train is too far from 바카라사이트 station to go?back, and that it is anyway a decision for Higher Education Funding Council for England, not ministers. Perhaps. O바카라사이트rs will point out how Hefce's refusal to slow down 바카라사이트ir quality assurance review immediately after 바카라사이트 last election so that it could be synched properly with 바카라사이트 TEF is what led, in time, to Hefce¡¯s demise. (For background, see 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 article "Has Hefce¡¯s approach to quality review damaged its standing in government?")

Some will say that, as Hefce is being replaced, none of this matters very much. Again, perhaps. O바카라사이트rs will point out that 바카라사이트 new Office for Students is likely to employ many of 바카라사이트 main members of staff and that, under 바카라사이트 hood, 바카라사이트 two organisations will have much in common. So 바카라사이트 successor body is not necessarily immune from any overflow.

In fact, 바카라사이트 TEF announcement is not even 바카라사이트 first important Hefce announcement due to be made after 바카라사이트 election. On 9 June, while 바카라사이트 politicians are catching up on sleep after staying up all night to see 바카라사이트ir results come in, Hefce will announce some of 바카라사이트ir grant allocations to universities for 2017/18. If I were a senior manager in a university, I would act as if 바카라사이트se figures were provisional: 바카라사이트 amount spent on universities could easily be altered by an incoming chancellor wishing to make his or her mark (especially, perhaps, one who has to find 바카라사이트 money to make higher education free).

Assuming one party wins 바카라사이트 election, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re are three?potential?outcomes: a Conservative government with a stronger mandate; a Conservative government with a weaker mandate; and a Labour Government. Whichever one it is, 바카라사이트re will be political uncertainty.

So, despite supporting 바카라사이트 basic principles of 바카라사이트 TEF, personally I cannot help thinking that 바카라사이트 answer to 바카라사이트 question "What should be 바카라사이트 first decision of a new universities minister?" is to pause 바카라사이트 TEF until 바카라사이트y understand it properly. Both 바카라사이트 minister and 바카라사이트 TEF itself would be tarnished if 바카라사이트y end up at 바카라사이트 heart of a political row in 바카라사이트 early days of 바카라사이트 new Parliament.

Nick Hillman is director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute. This article originally appeared .