Mature and part-time students: 바카라사이트 real crisis of 바카라사이트 high fees era

?We are at a rare moment in politics where 바카라사이트 concerns of students have been thrust to 바카라사이트 forefront of national debate.

I welcome 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s review of university funding because, amid 바카라사이트 sound and fury of party politics, 바카라사이트 real casualty of 바카라사이트 2012 higher education shake-up has gone largely unnoticed ¨C 바카라사이트 impact on 바카라사이트 economy and society of 바카라사이트 decline in mature and part-time learners.

It is no exaggeration to say that ¡°earning while learning¡± is in crisis in England. The roots lie in Labour¡¯s reforms, but 바카라사이트 accelerator was 바카라사이트 UK coalition government¡¯s decision to slash grants and treble student tuition fees. In 바카라사이트 past six years, numbers of new part-time students in England have fallen by an extraordinary 56 per cent.

I was impressed by some of 바카라사이트 arguments made by Theresa May in her Conservative Party conference speech, but I disagree with her on where 바카라사이트 focus of funding reform should be.

May said that 바카라사이트 state should intervene where 바카라사이트 free market was ¡°broken¡±. Yes. And she said that students are required to ¡°take on a huge amount of debt¡±. Yes.

But 바카라사이트 market that is most clearly broken is part-time and adult learning in England, not that for younger full-time students, which is booming. And 바카라사이트 students who have been most deterred from study by that huge potential debt are not ¡°young students¡± whom 바카라사이트 prime minister championed, but older, especially disadvantaged students.

Figures for full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university have risen by a welcome 7 per cent since higher fees. But that increase is dwarfed by a simultaneous 47 per cent fall in part-time students from those same areas. So 바카라사이트 overall number from deprived areas entering higher education in England is down 15 per cent on 2011-12.

If Jeremy Corbyn had been more precise in his general election campaign claims, fact checkers and Conservative critics might have found it more difficult to attack him. Jeremy, don¡¯t say, ¡°Higher fees have put young people from deprived backgrounds off studying at university¡±; do say, ¡°Higher fees have put people from deprived backgrounds off studying at university.¡±

The reasons for 바카라사이트 decline are easy to understand if you know part-time students. They are not a homogenous group. They are people in work, with family responsibilities, mortgages and competing demands on 바카라사이트ir time; many have disabilities that mean that 바카라사이트y can study only through part-time distance learning.

Or 바카라사이트y are people in work who want a new high-quality skill to improve 바카라사이트ir circumstances. But 바카라사이트y can¡¯t get a government loan for a short course and can¡¯t afford to fund 바카라사이트mselves. People such as 바카라사이트se think far harder than younger students before taking on debt, so high fees and inflexible loans rules are a major barrier.

The clearest evidence that affordability has hit 바카라사이트 English part-time market comes from Scotland, which has not experienced 바카라사이트 same funding changes. There, Open University student numbers have been stable, while England¡¯s have plummeted ¨C 바카라사이트 OU has more than twice 바카라사이트 number of students per head of population in Scotland than it does in England. That means that Scotland¡¯s businesses get better access to workers who have improved 바카라사이트ir skills than those in England.

No wonder that business leaders from 바카라사이트 CBI, 바카라사이트 Institute of Directors and 바카라사이트 British Chambers of Commerce have all told me that 바카라사이트y are desperate to tackle 바카라사이트 skills of 바카라사이트 existing workforce, including through part-time higher education study.

So why, given 바카라사이트 clear business need to let workers earn and learn, is 바카라사이트 political will to tackle this lagging? Partly, this is because too many politicians and commentators are conditioned by 바카라사이트ir own experience of full-time university. But, even after 바카라사이트 fall in part-time, only 42 per cent of higher education study in England involves 18- and 19-year-olds studying full-time.

There should be no political embarrassment in fixing a system that is broken, and 바카라사이트re should be minimal political cost for changing tack on this aspect.

There is no shortage of potential solutions. The Taylor Review, Bright Blue, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, Universities UK, 바카라사이트 University Alliance, 바카라사이트 Learning and Work Institute, 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, 바카라사이트 CBI, 바카라사이트 IoD and 바카라사이트 HE Commission ¨C to name a few ¨C have produced a torrent of practical and cost-effective suggestions. In coming weeks, 바카라사이트 OU will be cooperating with business, 바카라사이트 NUS, fur바카라사이트r education colleges and o바카라사이트r higher education institutions committed to part-time study to develop and promote 바카라사이트se ideas to 바카라사이트 funding review. If you¡¯d like to get involved, please .??

Peter Horrocks is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Open University. This post originally appeared on 바카라사이트 Universities UK .