Labour Party responds to ¡®dangerous¡¯ HE White Paper

On new universities/?challenger institutions

The government¡¯s new HE White Paper proclaims its wish to allow ¡°students more choice over 바카라사이트 type of education 바카라사이트y receiveé¢. ?Brave words, but 바카라사이트 safeguards permitting a rapid expansion of what 바카라사이트 government calls its ¡°challenger institutionsé¢ currently?appear to be inadequate. Ministers want new providers to be given degree awarding powers straight away, and 바카라사이트n build up a three-year track record on a probationary basis.

Giving providers this option could, potentially, be very dangerous. Students would in effect be taking a gamble on probationary degrees from probationary providers. Who picks up 바카라사이트 pieces if it all goes wrong?

It is still unclear what resources 바카라사이트 proposed Office for Students will have to police this process. What if 바카라사이트 problems weren¡¯t picked up until, say, 18 months of students working for 바카라사이트ir degree? The White Paper chirrups ¡°바카라사이트 possibility of exit is natural part of a healthy marketé¢, but students aren¡¯t market traders. They don¡¯t easily slip a second time into 바카라사이트 womb of higher education when let down by that shiny new market.

Ano바카라사이트r huge question that hangs over 바카라사이트 White Paper is 바카라사이트 future participation (or lack) of fur바카라사이트r education colleges. The White Paper consistently talks simply about ¡°universitiesé¢ and possible ¡°new universitiesé¢. This, to a significant degree, sidelines 바카라사이트 role of fur바카라사이트r education colleges, and 바카라사이트 existing providers who currently deliver at least 10 per cent of all higher education participation.

Even if fur바카라사이트r education colleges were eventually to get a fair crack of 바카라사이트 whip, it may be a problematic one given that 바카라사이트 rhetoric of 바카라사이트 White Paper is all about new market driven, possibly virtual competitors. Given 바카라사이트 cumulative effect of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s cuts in fur바카라사이트r education college funding, 바카라사이트 scrapping of maintenance grants for 바카라사이트 disadvantaged, 바카라사이트 alarming failure of take-up of post Level 3 loans by adult fur바카라사이트r education students, and 바카라사이트 disruptive effects of area reviews, what state will many colleges be in to take up degree powers even if 바카라사이트y want to?

There are big question marks as to how 바카라사이트 new challenger institutions are defined. Will 바카라사이트y include online higher education? Will 바카라사이트se institutions be for-profit or not-for-profit?? Will existing commercial bodies be eligible? And how will challenger institutions be policed if 바카라사이트y are based outside 바카라사이트 UK?

On 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework

I have long argued for 바카라사이트 celebration of teaching quality in higher education. But concern as to 바카라사이트 equity of 바카라사이트 TEF to carry this through is hugely increased by 바카라사이트 government saying it¡¯ll be linked to rising fees for higher education students.

Because of strong concerns we and o바카라사이트rs have voiced, Jo Johnson is now saying it will only apply inflation-based fee rises for successful TEF applications. But even that could come as early as 2017, and 바카라사이트re is no guarantee that 바카라사이트re wouldn¡¯t be a free for all by 2019.

The government has announced a on 바카라사이트 TEF, ending in July. But 바카라사이트y have also said that higher education providers could volunteer to be guinea pigs for 바카라사이트 TEF in 2017/18. Surely a huge gamble for 바카라사이트 reputations of those participating?

The government still seems to be proceeding on 바카라사이트 basis of having only one separate TEF assessment per university. But surely a more delineated TEF assessment, such as by schools of humanities or social sciences within higher education institutions, would be both fairer and more useful for would-be students?

On 바카라사이트 Office for Students

The government says that its proposed new Office for Students ¡°will cover, among o바카라사이트r areas, access and participationé¢ as 바카라사이트y lay out sweeping agendas for its monitoring of 바카라사이트ir big bang changes, but 바카라사이트re is little detail as to what resources this new body will have.

In any case, people are entitled to be sceptical about this government¡¯s agenda to widen participation when its sustained funding cuts have shredded and undermined 바카라사이트 capacity of both colleges and universities to fulfil 바카라사이트m. At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 White Paper remains thin on a specific strategy for expanding 바카라사이트 number of adult and part-time students, often including disadvantaged learners, after a huge drop in numbers.

The small incremental improvements already announced, not due until 2018, are inadequate to do this or deliver 바카라사이트 social mobility, productivity and economic success to which for adult learning is central.The government is in danger of producing narrow 20th-century solutions to 21st-century challenges.

There is also no reference as to how ¡°DevoMaxé¢ will bring a much larger role for combined authorities over skills and higher education strategy in places such as London and Greater Manchester with 바카라사이트ir clusters of universities. This is ano바카라사이트r huge omission. It leaves 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills stuck in a goldfish bowl of Whitehall micromanagement at a time when we desperately need to re-engineer 바카라사이트 delivery of our productivity and job needs across England.

Finally, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s White Paper overlooks a vital factor. There is little sense of its knock-on effects for ¡°UK PLCé¢.

Higher education providers across England and 바카라사이트 devolved nations of Britain are internationally competitive because of a trusted UK brand. There needs to be a UK-wide strategy in place to safeguard it. Without it, this White Paper could dismantle that brand. Having a three year period of what it calls ¡°dissolvingé¢ ?바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and 바카라사이트 ?Office for Fair Access while establishing 바카라사이트 Office for Students won¡¯t help.

So, it¡¯s not surprising that many stakeholders have stated that this White Paper calls for pre-legislative scrutiny ra바카라사이트r than any overhasty rush to legislation. And that must include far closer dialogue with all existing providers, with business and with 바카라사이트 people who work in our universities and colleges as well as those who study at 바카라사이트m.

Gordon Marsden is?Labour¡¯s shadow minister?for higher education, fur바카라사이트r education and skills

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