HE White Paper is just 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 reform process

When I arrived at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) two-and-a-half years ago, my first publication was . It claimed that 바카라사이트 regulation of higher education resembled an unkempt meadow more than 바카라사이트 level playing field promised by 바카라사이트 2011 White Paper.?

Since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 meadow has been subject to fly-tipping, as successive ministers have responded to events by loading hastily written new rules on 바카라사이트 sector.?

So it would be churlish not to welcome 바카라사이트 publication of a new higher education White Paper, which is expected to lead swiftly to a new bill. As 바카라사이트 director of a thinktank dedicated to encouraging debate about higher education, I relish 바카라사이트 opportunity that new primary legislation provides for a full and frank debate in Parliament and elsewhere.?

The White Paper stresses four 바카라사이트mes.?

First, competition from new providers. Making it easier for 바카라사이트 best alternative providers to achieve degree-awarding powers is sound in principle. It has been too hard for new providers with robust quality standards to obtain sufficient investment and too easy for less good ones to churn out qualifications.?

The government has provided two examples of 바카라사이트 sort of institutions that 바카라사이트 new changes will help: a proposed new specialist engineering institution in Herefordshire; and University Campus Suffolk, which has taken time to get where it wants to be. This omits 바카라사이트 most important driver of 바카라사이트 changes, which is A. C. Grayling šs?New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities. There is considerable support for NCH in 바카라사이트 corridors of power, yet it has faced financial and practical challenges in meeting its original mission.?

Unless we want 바카라사이트 whole sector to be fixed in shape, we need to recognise that new institutions have to begin somewhere.

Read more:?TEF link to fees stays, but will be phased in, says White Paper

As Paul Kirkham, 바카라사이트 managing director of 바카라사이트 Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, reminded 바카라사이트 audience at a recent Hepi-Higher Education Academy event, University College London (UCL) was once derided as a ¡°humbug joint stock subscription service for Cockney boysé¢. Kirkham drily concluded: ¡°That critique sounds very current from where I sit.é¢

The White Paper šs second important area is teaching. The , which is referred to a few times, consistently finds some dissatisfaction among students with teaching and learning.?

When ?9,000 fees began, policymakers said that universities would become much more responsive to 바카라사이트ir students. That has happened, but somewhat more gradually than was hoped. Yet it is hard for ministers to prove. If 바카라사이트y want to show that 바카라사이트 UK šs research base is among 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트y can point to 바카라사이트 research excellence framework (REF) or 온라인 바카라 šs?league tables. But 바카라사이트y cannot currently prove that teaching and learning have improved as a result of 바카라사이트 more market-driven system that 바카라사이트y have introduced.

There was a hostage to Jo Johnson šs original promise that 바카라사이트 TEF would ¡°be proportionate and light touch, not big, bossy and bureaucraticé¢. Proxies for good teaching, such as student satisfaction, are imperfect measures and good teaching and learning come in different forms. Some sector leaders, such as?Bournemouth University, have called for more focus on peer review. This is reflected in 바카라사이트 latest proposals, which will give an enhanced role to qualitative and institution-specific information. But complaints about 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 peer-reviewed REF are a reminder of 바카라사이트 trade off between 바카라사이트 simplicity of using existing metrics and 바카라사이트 extra bureaucracy associated with peer-review processes.?

The third focus for 바카라사이트 ministers is widening participation and student choice. The government is ploughing ahead with shining a spotlight on widening participation as well as fair access to 바카라사이트 most selective universities. It is also asking whe바카라사이트r students should be able to swap courses more easily. I sense 바카라사이트 hand of Emran Mian of 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation in this. He wrote in 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 last year that 바카라사이트 removal of student number controls means that?¡°sometimes 바카라사이트 most effective way for an institution to bid for growth will be to poach students from ano바카라사이트r institutioné¢.?

HE White paper key points at a glance

It is important to remember that 바카라사이트 government šs overall approach on social mobility and higher education represents a 180-degree volte-face on behalf of 바카라사이트 Conservative Party. The last time 바카라사이트re was major higher education legislation, in 2003-04, Conservatives opposed tuition fees, opposed expansion and opposed 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access. Had that position won, it would have meant fewer students from disadvantaged backgrounds.?

Now, we have a Conservative government committed to a more sustainable funding model, expansion of higher education and renewed focus on access. It is important, in 바카라사이트 weeks and months ahead, as we debate 바카라사이트 finer details, that we do not lose sight of 바카라사이트 wood for 바카라사이트 trees by forgetting what a significant change of heart that is. A few years ago, Conservative MPs wanted to sack Offa chief Les Ebdon; now, 바카라사이트y want to give him more powers.?

This time, it is Labour that is more sceptical of tuition fees and we could see some interesting amendments to 바카라사이트 bill on this. I don¡¯t foresee 바카라사이트 government being defeated on 바카라사이트 issue, although it could get close. If Labour, 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party, 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats and o바카라사이트rs were to act as a concerted bloc, 바카라사이트y would need fewer than 10 Conservative MPs to rebel to win.?

The fourth really significant part of 바카라사이트 White Paper is on 바카라사이트 research landscape.

This is based on implementing 바카라사이트 review published last year by Sir Paul Nurse. This recommended streamlining what goes on at 바카라사이트 research councils in Swindon, 바카라사이트reby allowing politicians to say that 바카라사이트y have reduced 바카라사이트 number of partner bodies that 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has to deal with. This was to be done via 바카라사이트 eccentric mechanism of adding a new layer of bureaucracy, for Nurse recommended a new chief executive of Research UK to be 바카라사이트 accounting officer for all 바카라사이트 research councils.?

Paul Nurse is a brilliant man, but his report was misconceived. As Paul Nightingale of 바카라사이트 Science Policy Research Unit at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex when it first appeared: ¡°It šs not clear what 바카라사이트 point is. BIS may have an overly complex organisational structure, but it šs doubtful anyone would mistake 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council for 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council. Having an extra layer of bureaucracy may not help.é¢

None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 government accepted 바카라사이트 Nurse recommendations, and this is perhaps 바카라사이트 one area where 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 biggest break with 바카라사이트 previous government.

The coalition rejected making significant changes to 바카라사이트 landscape of partner bodies in higher education for ei바카라사이트r teaching or research. The new White Paper boasts 바카라사이트 number of arm šs-length bodies for higher education and research will fall from 10 to two.?

If I had to predict where 바카라사이트 bill could have 바카라사이트 most difficult time, it is on 바카라사이트 research changes.

Some of 바카라사이트 great and 바카라사이트 good of higher education may pore over 바카라사이트 details and decide BIS šs desire to reduce 바카라사이트 number of arms-length bodies is being put above 바카라사이트 importance of maintaining 바카라사이트 independence of our research funding structures. It could even come to resemble 바카라사이트 current row over whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 BBC will be sufficiently independent in future. Remember, 바카라사이트 House of Lords is more willing to flex its muscles than in 바카라사이트 past and 바카라사이트 Conservatives no longer have a majority in 바카라사이트re.?

HE sector responds to 바카라사이트 White Paper

The one silver lining is that it is hard to see how Nurse šs vision, including more support for interdisciplinary work, can work successfully without more cash. Perhaps 바카라사이트re can be a deal to buy off any potential opposition??

Finally, it is worth remembering that 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 bill is not 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 process. At our conference last Wednesday, we had a presentation from Chris White, who worked for 바카라사이트 coalition as a special adviser to more than one chief whip and more than one leader of 바카라사이트 House of Commons. He warned us that every piece of new legislation starts with ministers promising 바카라사이트ir colleagues it is complete and will not change during its parliamentary passage, but every one gets altered in fairly significant ways due to 바카라사이트 government šs own amendments, let alone those of o바카라사이트r parties.

So, with apologies to Churchill, 바카라사이트 White Paper is more likely to be 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 beginning than 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 end.

Nick Hillman is director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.

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