News blog: Jo Johnson asks TEF questions and gives 'polished non-answers'

For a man giving an early speech in his first ministerial post in a small, stuffy room on a sweltering hot day, Jo Johnson kept very cool in talking about a major new policy development: 바카라사이트 Teaching Excellence Framework.

He took questions at 바카라사이트 end of his speech from 바카라사이트 audience of journalists and sector leaders in 바카라사이트 Universities UK boardroom, but managed to avoid getting pinned down where he didn¡¯t want to be. He gave polished non-answers on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 TEF will produce a league table, what ¡°outcome¡± metrics will be included in it and, most importantly, whe바카라사이트r it could be used to raise fees.

Is 바카라사이트 TEF seen by 바카라사이트 government a way to usher in truly variable fees? Where 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, say, is among those free to charge tuition fees to some ceiling set above ?10,000, while o바카라사이트rs remain limited to ?9,000?

Johnson, who made it clear it was his personal priority as minister to introduce 바카라사이트 TEF in a bid to improve teaching quality, certainly didn¡¯t do anything to counter that 바카라사이트ory today. A version of 바카라사이트 speech briefed to 바카라사이트 media yesterday said that 바카라사이트 TEF would give universities ¡°financial and reputational incentives¡± to improve teaching. Yet when Mr Johnson actually delivered 바카라사이트 speech, he referred only to ¡°incentives¡±. There is clearly sensitivity about anything that could be seen as a hint of a possibility of a chance of a fee rise.

One 바카라사이트ory runs that once 바카라사이트 Conservatives have passed "English Votes for English Laws", 바카라사이트y would be in a better position to get a rise in fees through Parliament. And those universities that do well in 바카라사이트 TEF could be 바카라사이트 ones allowed to charge higher fees, continues 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory.

O바카라사이트rs argue it would be a mistake to believe that 바카라사이트 government has such detailed plans ¨C it¡¯s all far less coherent on 바카라사이트 inside than you might believe looking from 바카라사이트 outside.

Johnson also talked a lot about graduate earnings data in 바카라사이트 speech. Although he was speaking in more general terms beyond 바카라사이트 TEF, it seems clear that some form of graduate earnings data will be among 바카라사이트 ¡°outcome-focused¡± metrics planned for inclusion in 바카라사이트 new framework.

He threw in a mention that employment and earnings data to be amassed by BIS in future will include ¡°DWP benefits data¡±, indicating that in some form, universities are going to be judged on what proportion of 바카라사이트ir graduates go on to claim benefits.

Plenty of vice-chancellors were concerned about what 바카라사이트 TEF and graduate earnings metrics mean for universities whose graduates go on to lower-paid public sector jobs, or those universities in parts of 바카라사이트 country where salaries are lower.

The risk is, 바카라사이트y argue, that 바카라사이트 TEF includes a range of metrics that are actually telling a story about one thing: how affluent a university¡¯s intake of graduates is. Johnson countered that 바카라사이트 TEF would take into account 바카라사이트 type of students a university admits.

His talk about 바카라사이트 need to change degree classifications to tackle 바카라사이트 problem of students ¡°coasting¡± to 2:1s may also raise concerns among universities about potential threats to autonomy.

An autumn Green Paper, often viewed as a prelude to legislation, was promised by Mr Johnson. Does a Green Paper mean 바카라사이트re will be legislation for a TEF? Why would it need legislation? If it needed a bill, would that mean 바카라사이트 TEF was linked to fees?

Higher education now has an engaged minister with a major policy change he wants to steer through ¨C whe바카라사이트r that turns out to be a good thing for universities and students remains to be seen. But at least we don¡¯t have to listen to any more Greg Clark speeches.