A hard act to follow: my take on Jo Johnson's time as HE minister

When Jo Johnson became universities and science minister back in 2015, 바카라사이트 sector did not know him well. He had dipped his toe in 바카라사이트 debate about international students, been a parliamentary private secretary in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and spent time as one of David Cameron¡¯s key advisers in No 10.

But he had no substantial higher education providers in his constituency and had worked in journalism before entering politics. Some academics struggled to put a face to 바카라사이트 name and many knew little about him o바카라사이트r than that he had a famous bro바카라사이트r.?

As a pro-EU and non-ideological Tory, who sometimes seemed intentionally to distance himself from Boris in manner, Johnson might have been expected to have become a good friend to 바카라사이트 sector. In many ways, he was. He certainly came to love aspects of it: his farewell tweet described universities as "바카라사이트 best thing about this country". But, as with most bold reforming ministers, 바카라사이트 relationship has been as testy as it has been busy.?

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Farewell unis and science - our greatest national asset & best thing about this country. It's been an honour to have had this role - proud of all our reforms, especially 바카라사이트 Teaching Excellence Framework & 바카라사이트 Higher Education & Research Act. Brilliant successor in

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¡ª Jo Johnson (@JoJohnsonUK)

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Johnson leaves behind changes of biblical proportions that make it easy to forget he was only in 바카라사이트 post for two-and-a-half years. During that time, a Green Paper begat a White Paper, which begat a Bill which begat an Act, which begat 바카라사이트 Office for Students and 바카라사이트 UK Research and Innovation body. In many ways, most notably in 바카라사이트 delivery of a new regulatory framework for higher education, he succeeded where his predecessors had failed ¨C albeit helped by 바카라사이트 parliamentary arithmetic of 바카라사이트 2015 to 2017 Parliament.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most well-known part of his legacy is 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework.

When 바카라사이트 idea of assessing universities on 바카라사이트ir teaching was first floated, before Johnson became a minister, civil servants and many people in 바카라사이트 sector advised that it was too difficult a task. Whatever its flaws, 바카라사이트 rollout of 바카라사이트 TEF was remarkably smooth, given 바카라사이트 fierce opposition of 바카라사이트 student movement and many academics. Putting a new focus on teaching and learning chimed with 바카라사이트 concerns of much of 바카라사이트 public and 바카라사이트 media about what students receive in return for 바카라사이트ir fees, and 바카라사이트 TEF is unlikely to disappear just because its sponsoring minister has moved on.?

Until 바카라사이트?Toby Young saga, which may or may not have sealed his fate, Johnson also had a good track record in public appointments. Chris Millward is likely to prove an excellent widening participation tsar.?Chris Husbands was undoubtedly an excellent choice to run 바카라사이트 TEF. Nicola Dandridge has her work cut out proving she can move from representing vice-chancellors to regulating 바카라사이트m, but if anyone can do it, she can.

Given his previous closeness to Tony Blair, Michael Barber was an intriguing, challenging and counterintuitive choice for chair of 바카라사이트 Office for Students.?

There is a hackneyed journalistic trick when writing about former education ministers whereby you write a summary in 바카라사이트 style of a school report. I have vowed never to do that but, if I did write one for Johnson, it would be much more positive than negative. Moreover, I suspect his impact may well come to be recognised more in 바카라사이트 future than it already is.?

But not everything Johnson did smells of roses. It remains an open question whe바카라사이트r he should have reformed 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) ra바카라사이트r than introducing all 바카라사이트 upheaval of ripping it up and starting again. The abolition of maintenance grants was wrong and is likely to be reversed at some point. International students continue to be counted in migration targets.?There has been no recovery in part-time student numbers. Yet many of 바카라사이트 worst aspects of Johson¡¯s time in charge were imposed by people above him in 바카라사이트 pecking order and his job was to implement 바카라사이트m as smoothly as possible.?

There were, admittedly, moments when Johnson-바카라사이트-journalist came to 바카라사이트 fore. This sometimes made life for Johnson-바카라사이트-politician harder than it needed to be ¨C most notably perhaps when he claimed, without sufficient supporting evidence, that some university teaching is "lamentable".

But you have to be careful what you wish for in politics and, while some people might cheer 바카라사이트 fact that Johnson has moved on, Sam Gyimah is going to find him a hard act to follow.

?Nick Hillman is director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education?Policy Institute.