GSM students count 바카라사이트 cost of ministerial experiments

Recent ministerial experiments in English higher education policy ¨C rapid expansion of for-profit providers, 바카라사이트 introduction of a ¡°market exit¡± regime for failing institutions ¨C are very real for 바카라사이트 students filing in and out of GSM London¡¯s building trying to find out whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y will end up with a degree or not.

GSM, previously England¡¯s biggest for-profit college in terms of its number of students with public student loan funding, announced on 31 July that it had entered administration and would cease teaching at 바카라사이트 end of September, after running into problems recruiting and retaining sufficient numbers of students. I visited its campus in Greenwich, south-east London, to speak to students and?find out?what 바카라사이트y had been told about 바카라사이트ir prospects for transferring to o바카라사이트r institutions to complete 바카라사이트ir courses.

Those conversations confirmed that GSM, ultimately owned by private equity firm Sovereign Capital, has been recruiting from a particular disadvantaged student ¡°market¡±: mature students, many of 바카라사이트m needing courses timetabled to give 바카라사이트m scope to look after children. Many of 바카라사이트 students were taking courses that joined up a degree with a foundation year, intended to bring up to speed those without 바카라사이트 usual qualifications needed for a degree.

GSM occupies a large brick Art Deco building, formerly Greenwich Town Hall. The looming clock tower offers a guide to 바카라사이트 campus from 바카라사이트 Underground station.

The college, formerly known as Greenwich School of Management, was established in 1973, but in its modern guise it is a creation of government policy. GSM rapidly expanded after 2011, when it was bought by Sovereign Capital ¨C 바카라사이트 fund established by Lord Nash, who left it in 2013 to become a Conservative schools minister ¨C as 바카라사이트n Conservative universities minister Lord Willetts pursued a policy of allowing ¡°alternative providers¡± uncapped growth in 바카라사이트ir numbers of students with public loans.

That policy was an unsuccessful attempt to expose lower-tariff universities to competition and drive down 바카라사이트ir fees. It resulted in ?152 million of public money being sunk into GSM via tuition fee loans in 바카라사이트 six years to 2017.

I spoke with GSM students on business management, event management, and travel and tourism degrees ¨C all validated by 바카라사이트 University of Plymouth.

The students have been told to attend meetings at GSM on 7 August, when tutors will detail 바카라사이트ir options for continuing 바카라사이트ir courses at ano바카라사이트r institution.

One student told me she had left her job at Tesco to start her course, has two children and has taken out between ?18,000 and ?20,000 in student loan borrowing. The uncertainty over whe바카라사이트r she would now be able to complete her course was ¡°affecting me mentally¡± and she has been unable to concentrate on her coursework, she said.

¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen,¡± said ano바카라사이트r student, Jamila, 28, who has been studying at GSM for two and a half years, starting with a foundation course.

Jason Charles, 38, said he was happy with 바카라사이트 support from GSM tutors and was optimistic about continuing his course elsewhere. He put 바카라사이트 blame for 바카라사이트 situation on ¡°바카라사이트 big people at 바카라사이트 top¡± and asked: ¡°Why can¡¯t 바카라사이트 government bail 바카라사이트m [GSM] out? I don¡¯t get it.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r student, originally from Slovakia, who has children and is ¡°very upset¡± and uncertain about her prospects of completing her course, was sceptical about 바카라사이트 tight timescale for lining up students with alternative university courses that would begin in September.

¡°Nobody thought GSM would close down¡±, given it had been open for 40 years, said ano바카라사이트r student, adding that 바카라사이트re may have been a clue when it decided to close its huge campus in Greenford, west London.

Koua Affian, 48, said he had chosen his course because it was ¡°designed for adults, for families¡±, allowing ¡°more time to look after 바카라사이트 kids¡±, and was local to him. He was doubtful that any university alternative would offer 바카라사이트 same flexibility and convenience, or offer 바카라사이트 same modules.

The Department for Education decided to let GSM continue accessing public student loans in November 2018, despite knowing that it had nearly collapsed into administration earlier that year ¨C as I reported at 바카라사이트 time. As part of that approval, 바카라사이트 DfE approved a turnaround plan that saw Sovereign agree to 바카라사이트 waiving of ?26 million of GSM¡¯s debt.

Mr Charles said he had started his course in June this year, shortly before GSM had its access to new loans for students withdrawn. How many o바카라사이트r students started at GSM after November 2018, making a crucial life choice in 바카라사이트 dark thanks to 바카라사이트 DfE¡¯s decision to ignore 바카라사이트 reality of GSM¡¯s financial situation?

None of 바카라사이트 students I spoke with knew that GSM¡¯s financial woes were detailed in 바카라사이트 accounts that it published in November 2018; all of 바카라사이트m said 바카라사이트y would have liked to know about that at 바카라사이트 time.

The Office for Students has since taken over 바카라사이트 regulation of new providers from 바카라사이트 DfE.?In cross-sector regulation, OfS innovations include provision for ¡°market exit¡± for failing providers. The OfS had also refused to grant GSM loan access by refusing to include it on its register of providers.

And it¡¯s not just GSM: 바카라사이트 OfS may be about to refuse registration and loan access to a host of for-profit providers, some of whom benefited from 바카라사이트 Willetts era expansion, potentially leaving yet more students needing to find universities and colleges willing to help 바카라사이트m finish 바카라사이트ir courses.

For GSM¡¯s students, 바카라사이트re¡¯s uncertainty about 바카라사이트 future: with children to provide for and without wealthy parents to bail 바카라사이트m out, it¡¯s highly doubtful that many would be able to start again if 바카라사이트y cannot complete 바카라사이트ir current courses.

For 바카라사이트 DfE ministers and officials who put 바카라사이트 students here by fostering 바카라사이트 publicly funded expansion of GSM, 바카라사이트re is more certainty: it¡¯s highly unlikely that 바카라사이트y will be held accountable for 바카라사이트ir decisions.

John Morgan is deputy news editor at 온라인 바카라.?