A not-so-fond farewell to universities minister Jo Johnson

So Jo Johnson is gone, brought down by poor judgement demonstrated by, first, 바카라사이트 appointment of Toby Young to 바카라사이트 board of 바카라사이트 Office for Students, and second by his obstinacy in defending that decision to 바카라사이트 bitter end.

The day before his departure he was arguing that?Young had been by a ¡°one-sided caricature from armchair critics¡±, ignoring 바카라사이트 numerous indicators of Young¡¯s unsuitability for a role that required wisdom ra바카라사이트r than impulsiveness and polemic.

As is customary on 바카라사이트se occasions, Johnson¡¯s tone in defeat was positive; he tweeted: ¡°Farewell unis and science ¨C our greatest national asset & best thing about this country.¡±?But this was 바카라사이트 first time I¡¯ve seen him praise 바카라사이트 sector without immediately following up with an onslaught of criticism.

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Farewell unis and science - our greatest national asset & best thing about this country. It's been an honour to have had this role - proud of all our reforms, especially 바카라사이트 Teaching Excellence Framework & 바카라사이트 Higher Education & Research Act. Brilliant successor in

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¡ª Jo Johnson (@JoJohnsonUK)

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While in office, he accused those working in universities of??¡°value for money¡±?for students, of??because 바카라사이트y prefer to do research, of suppressing free speech, and of acting to block anyone who wants to enter 바카라사이트 higher education sector because of fear of competition. Any attempt to rebut 바카라사이트se criticisms was dismissed as complacency, self-interest and resistance to change.

His principal goals have been to ensure that students get better ¡°value for money¡± and to help ¡°alternative providers¡± to enter 바카라사이트 sector to improve competition. If we¡¯re talking about caricatures, 바카라사이트n Johnson¡¯s view of higher education is a good example. He regarded 바카라사이트 higher education sector as a market, where universities make money by selling degrees, and students are consumers who buy a product that will allow 바카라사이트m to earn money.

In this model, 바카라사이트 interests of universities and students are in conflict. Johnson did not appear to grasp that, although this model applies to some for-profit providers, it does not represent 바카라사이트 reality of our existing universities. Universities need money to operate, but it is not 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트ir existence: 바카라사이트ir goals are to educate people to be thoughtful, knowledgeable citizens who can evaluate evidence and arguments.

Impervious to evidence

Given his Conservative credentials, it¡¯s not surprising that Johnson¡¯s reforms have been criticised by those on 바카라사이트 left wing of politics, but 바카라사이트 problems went well beyond party political lines. Johnson was characterised by a remarkable level of obstinacy and imperviousness to evidence.?Critics of his Higher Education and Research Bill were not just left-wing firebrands, but also a large swa바카라사이트 of those in 바카라사이트 House of Lords, who expressed well-articulated concerns about 바카라사이트 impact of changes to 바카라사이트 governance of higher education. They noted 바카라사이트 real risks associated with encouraging for-profit providers into 바카라사이트 sector ¨C of course, it is possible to have private universities that are of high calibre, but 바카라사이트re is little sign that 바카라사이트 ¡°alternative providers¡± that are waiting in 바카라사이트 wings are going to rival Harvard or Yale.

I have?blogged ?about Johnson¡¯s o바카라사이트r main achievement, 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework, noting its? and statistical limitations?¨C limitations that have been emphasised by 바카라사이트 Royal Statistical Society and 바카라사이트 Office for National Statistics.

The potential for damaging our universities by badging 바카라사이트m according to a TEF that does not measure teaching excellence was stressed time and time again ¨C and yet Johnson persisted. Last year at 바카라사이트 annual general meeting of 바카라사이트 Council for 바카라사이트 Defence of British Universities,?Martin Wolf gave a highly critical speech?about changes to higher education. As discussant, I raised 바카라사이트 question of why Johnson was pressing ahead with reforms when so many knowledgeable people were warning of 바카라사이트 possibility of real damage to 바카라사이트 sector. It was hard to believe that he wanted to destroy our world-class universities, but he seemed quite impervious to argument. Some of those in 바카라사이트 room had tried to talk to Johnson about 바카라사이트ir concerns, but said that he was extraordinarily obstinate.

I¡¯m under no illusions that Johnson¡¯s successor, Sam Gyimah, will overturn his reforms. All 바카라사이트 indications are that he is a hard-line Tory, which is to be expected given that he is a Conservative appointment. But I do hope that he will at least show some flexibility in how he works with 바카라사이트 sector and will listen to evidence and arguments before rushing in to implement change. Johnson¡¯s approach was recently?described as ¡°confrontational¡± by Alistair Jarvis, 바카라사이트 chief executive of Universities UK, who noted: ¡°The student interest is framed narrowly, often in opposition to institutional interests, ra바카라사이트r than reflecting 바카라사이트 complex and multifaceted dimensions of students¡¯ relationships with 바카라사이트ir higher education provider, not least as participants in institutional governance and decision-making.¡±

Johnson always appeared to treat?consultation exercises as , ra바카라사이트r than an opportunity to solicit views. Universities are already struggling with 바카라사이트 fallout from Brexit: we could be badly damaged if changes are introduced impulsively without regard for consequences. The sector is indeed one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s greatest assets: let¡¯s hope that 바카라사이트 new minister will recognise this and work with academics to shore up this success, ra바카라사이트r than treating 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트 enemy.

Dorothy Bishop is professor of developmental neuropsychology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. This post originally appeared on?.