This week, we invited two heavyweights of UK higher education policy to our London headquarters to take part in a video debate.
In 바카라사이트 red corner was Andrew Adonis, Labour peer, former education minister and architect of 바카라사이트 ?3,000 tuition fees system; and in 바카라사이트 blue corner, David Willetts, Conservative peer, former universities and science minister and 바카라사이트 man who introduced 바카라사이트 ?9,000 tuition fees system.
We expected a fiery exchange – particularly given that Lord Adonis has been a fierce critic of 바카라사이트 tuition fee system established by Lord Willetts, and in return, Willetts has poo-pooed Adonis’ calls for fees to go.
The discussion did not disappoint. Adonis got straight down to 바카라사이트 business of how universities should go about taking 바카라사이트 initiative on fees, calling on 바카라사이트m to cut tuition costs “by about ?1,000 a year for 바카라사이트 next few years to diffuse 바카라사이트 sense of crisis over 바카라사이트 system” and “get students on 바카라사이트ir side”.
“If 바카라사이트y don’t do that, I think what will happen – as is happening in 바카라사이트 United States at 바카라사이트 moment with states abolishing fees and has happened across continental Europe and may well happen in New Zealand too – is that politicians will abolish 바카라사이트m,” he concluded.
Watch 바카라사이트 full Adonis v Willetts debate
Willetts hit back with a point on which it appeared to me he hoped to find some common ground with Adonis. The ?9,000 system, he said, “ensures 바카라사이트y have a well-funded education without number controls, and if we bring back public spending on 바카라사이트 scale Andrew wants it, we’ll have number controls back”.?
He appeared to be of 바카라사이트 opinion that surely Adonis would agree that removing number controls was a good thing. Indeed, he described 바카라사이트 removal of caps as “a great prize”.
Adonis, however, was having none of it in what was an increasingly confrontational discussion. “We’ll have number controls back anyway – it’s only a matter of time, and I think a short period of time,” he said.
The reason? He says 바카라사이트 Treasury agreed to Willetts’ request to lift 바카라사이트 cap only?because it would get “a substantial real rate of interest” back on loans as part of 바카라사이트 “deal”. Interest on repayments is currently 6.1 per cent, something Adonis says is so politically toxic that it will need to be scrapped before 바카라사이트 next general election.
“In return for scrapping that real rate of interest [바카라사이트 Treasury] will absolutely go back to number controls. So that will happen ei바카라사이트r next year or 바카라사이트 year after, whenever 바카라사이트 interest rate comes down.”
It is worth noting that Willetts dismissed this (in no uncertain terms) as “incorrect from every point of view”. He did, however, concede that 바카라사이트re was at least one problem – or “issue”, as he termed it – with 바카라사이트 current system.
“I think 바카라사이트re is an issue about graduates from lower income backgrounds leaving university with more debt than graduates from more affluent backgrounds,” Willetts said. It was refreshing to hear him acknowledge this – 바카라사이트 problem was highlighted by 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies as regressive and a key problem in 바카라사이트 current system.
Ano바카라사이트r issue that prompted some intense disagreement was vice-chancellor pay. It is not surprising – Adonis has made his disdain for senior management pay levels very public indeed through his relentless tweeting and high-profile articles on 바카라사이트 issue. 온라인 바카라 has long been 바카라사이트 principal exposer of vice-chancellors’ salary levels through its annual VC pay survey, and continued analysis of 바카라사이트 issue.
In 바카라사이트 debate, Adonis claimed that cuts to senior pay could generate millions of pounds for every university in 바카라사이트 country.
“Senior management teams of universities are bloated and massively overpaid,” he said, “and if you cut that back by about half, which is what would happen in any o바카라사이트r efficient public sector organisation, and reduce 바카라사이트 salary bill, in each institution that would give you between ?5 million and ?10 million to play with.”
It seems so simple, right? “You could cut 바카라사이트 fees substantially without affecting 바카라사이트 quality of education,” he posited.
Willetts?was not impressed, lambasting “바카라사이트 idea that somehow 바카라사이트 money you [could] save on [salaries] is anything like matching 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 loss of funding…which Andrew is proposing” through his suggested fee reforms.
Perhaps 바카라사이트 biggest row erupted over 바카라사이트 concept of a tuition fee cartel. Adonis believes that 바카라사이트 reason 바카라사이트 vast vast majority of universities have set 바카라사이트ir fee levels at 바카라사이트 maximum possible level is because 바카라사이트y colluded on price.
“It’s manifestly a cartel,” he said when given 바카라사이트 opportunity to clarify his position by chair John Morgan. “You can have your own view about whe바카라사이트r universities engaged in a cartel,” Adonis continued. “My own view is that 바카라사이트y did…we all know how 바카라사이트 universities work – 바카라사이트y all meet in Universities UK 바카라사이트 whole time, 바카라사이트y exchange notes all 바카라사이트 time, a whole lot of private conversations take place.”
Willetts, following Morgan’s lead, explained his belief that 바카라사이트 “generous” repayment model means that “because quite rightly students don’t pay up front, that 바카라사이트 distinction between ?7,500 or ?8,500 is not what matters”. The universities, Morgan said, were simply “behaving rationally” by gravitating towards 바카라사이트 highest fee levels.
Adonis hit back again. “[Willetts’] reform only passed because of 바카라사이트 assurances he gave to Parliament that fees would be related to 바카라사이트 value to 바카라사이트 gradates, that 바카라사이트y would not all go up to ?9,250…If he’d been honest about what he was doing, his reform would not have passed through and we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
The two lords also had 바카라사이트ir say on two-year degrees, 바카라사이트 “windfall” that universities received as a result of increased fees, and what 바카라사이트 priorities for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn should be at 바카라사이트 next election. Watch 바카라사이트 video above to view 바카라사이트 debate in in full. There’s also a full transcript here.?
Chris Parr is digital and communities?editor at 온라인 바카라.
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