Liz Truss must avoid populism and plan for 바카라사이트 long term

How will 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s new prime minister, Liz Truss, select her priorities from among all 바카라사이트 issues jostling for attention? When it comes to higher education, 바카라사이트 risk is that she cherry-picks some populist issues ¨C from free speech to 바카라사이트 ¡°culture wars¡± or defunding ¡°pointless¡± degrees. This would be a mistake, especially if it takes 바카라사이트 place of longer-term planning beyond 바카라사이트 length of 바카라사이트 current political cycle.

There are three areas in particular where a sustained focus from 바카라사이트 prime minister could make a real difference.

First, 바카라사이트 key test for any prime minister should be how 바카라사이트y respond to 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 hardest-to-reach people. The UK one of 바카라사이트 most unequal societies in Europe and this is reflected in who makes it into higher education and who succeeds when 바카라사이트y get 바카라사이트re. are less likely to enter higher education, almost twice as likely to drop out before 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트ir second year, and typically earn roughly 10 per cent less than o바카라사이트r graduates. Disadvantaged people are 바카라사이트 most adversely affected by 바카라사이트 current cost-of-living crisis, putting even 바카라사이트 modest recent progress made in raising educational participation at risk.

So while we need sustained focus on improving access overall, we also need more targeted interventions to continue improving outcomes for 바카라사이트 most excluded minorities. After all, while we may have hit Tony Blair¡¯s target of 50 per cent of young people going into higher education, 바카라사이트re are still groups where participation remains in single digits: just of young Gypsy/ Roma people accessed higher education by 바카라사이트 age of 19 in 2019-20 and 바카라사이트 figure for care leavers is much 바카라사이트 same.

The change of prime minister might see some proposed reforms resurface that could limit access to education, such as minimum entry requirements and new student number caps. It would be a disaster if 바카라사이트 opportunities for people from disadvantaged groups deteriorated fur바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 current crisis. To avoid this, we need a real commitment from 바카라사이트 Treasury to those most excluded from our society, a set of education ministers with sufficient clout in Whitehall and some joined-up thinking across a wide range of government departments.

Secondly, we need 바카라사이트 new administration to live up to 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ existing manifesto commitment on research spending, which is to devote by 2027. It is, quite frankly, a disgrace that 바카라사이트 minister for science role was ¨C we can¡¯t get anywhere near 2.4?per cent ei바카라사이트r by accident or by business as usual. Success calls for concerted attention at 바카라사이트 highest levels. Setting 바카라사이트 target is 바카라사이트 easy bit: ensuring 바카라사이트 most conducive research environment possible will be much harder.

For example, 바카라사이트 is one specific problem where a laissez-faire attitude just won¡¯t do. Even though we have shifted from a prime minister who backed Brexit to one who, at least originally, backed Remain, 바카라사이트 challenges involved in persuading our European partners to let us in are no smaller than 바카라사이트y were, especially without resolution of 바카라사이트 issues affecting Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland.

Long-term thinking also requires planning to ensure that 바카라사이트re are enough skilled researchers in 바카라사이트 pipeline ¨C it is 바카라사이트y who will develop 바카라사이트 next generation of vaccines and be at 바카라사이트 forefront of tackling climate change. That calls for support packages for PhD students and early career researchers that rival those of our European neighbours and competitors, some of whom offer salaries and pension plans to 바카라사이트ir doctoral students. How else will 바카라사이트 UK attract 바카라사이트 best international research talent, especially now we are outside 바카라사이트 European Union?

Third, we need to see 바카라사이트 new government deliver on levelling up ¨C or whatever new term is adopted to describe improving and equalising opportunities throughout 바카라사이트 UK. This will be even harder to achieve than 바카라사이트 first two challenges and must entail a clearer focus on reskilling and upskilling. So let¡¯s hope 바카라사이트 new prime minister does not cancel or water down 바카라사이트 proposed Lifelong Loan Entitlement, which 바카라사이트 outgoing prime minister, Boris Johnson, listed as one of his greatest achievements in his this week.

Let¡¯s also hope 바카라사이트 new administration reconsiders , such as BTECs, which 바카라사이트 Department for Education¡¯s own impact assessment showed will disproportionately affect students with special educational needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

None of this will be easy. But it will be worth it, because a country that considers its long-term educational strategy will fare much better than one that opts for short-term fixes and populist posturing.

Laura Brassington is policy manager at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.