What is going on inside government as 바카라사이트 post-18 education review continues?
There is some useful insight in new universities minister Chris Skidmore’s interview with 온라인 바카라, published today. He seeks to reassure a panicked sector about his stances on some of 바카라사이트 key issues, but also offers realism about 바카라사이트 limits of what he can do.
As a starting point, he stressed that 바카라사이트 review reports into 바카라사이트 prime minister, chancellor and education secretary and that a “cross-government” response will follow 바카라사이트 review panel’s report.
Given 바카라사이트se facts, 바카라사이트 universities minister is, obviously, not going to be in 바카라사이트 driving seat. Skidmore said that he would work to ensure any major changes?are “graduated” – which offers 바카라사이트 prospect of mitigation for universities in fear of a fees/funding cut, but nothing more. The big question – 바카라사이트 extent and nature of any direct funding that 바카라사이트 Treasury will allocate to universities to replace lost fee income – remains one not discussed in public.
But 바카라사이트re are certain tactical positions that 바카라사이트 universities minister can take up. Skidmore’s call for 바카라사이트 government to consult following 바카라사이트 panel report aims to reassure 바카라사이트 sector. Without such consultation, less sympa바카라사이트tic/downright hostile forces in government (in?No?10 or 바카라사이트 Treasury) will seize 바카라사이트 agenda. The Treasury, it is thought, wants 바카라사이트 report to be delayed so that it can be considered as part of 바카라사이트 spending review – in which case 바카라사이트re would be no consultation.
What do 바카라사이트 hostile forces think? Nick Timothy – 바카라사이트 former adviser to Theresa May who many think is still a key influence on her – has argued that increased numbers of graduates have brought “no improvement in Britain’s productivity” and that “certain degree subjects offer no return on investment”. The recent report on student loans from 바카라사이트 Onward thinktank, led by figures with strong Number 10 and Treasury links, conducted polling which found that “44?per cent of people believe that ‘바카라사이트re are too many students going to university’”. And 바카라사이트 report argued that institutional courses deemed “low value” on 바카라사이트 basis of graduate earnings data “should be gradually phased out”.
With 바카라사이트se ideas swirling around government (and no doubt inside it too), it is significant that Skidmore defended 바카라사이트 expansion of higher education. “I’m a universities minister who believes that 바카라사이트re aren’t too many people at university,” he said. And he criticised 바카라사이트 idea of a minimum grade threshold (which 바카라사이트 review panel has looked at as an option to limit student numbers).
He also said that graduate earnings figures should not be used without understanding 바카라사이트ir context – most importantly, 바카라사이트 huge variation in earnings by region. Some vice-chancellors fear that restricting loan access for courses deemed 바카라사이트 worst performers on graduate earnings data, as per 바카라사이트 Onward report, has been considered by 바카라사이트 review as ano바카라사이트r way to limit student numbers.
Ano바카라사이트r long-running 바카라사이트ory is that 바카라사이트 Treasury will push for higher funding for STEM subjects (and lower funding for 바카라사이트 rest), to direct students towards those courses. So it was interesting to hear Skidmore say that “arts and humanities are equally critically important to sciences and I’ll be working to make that case”.
But Skidmore was not advocating a no-change position – he referred to 바카라사이트 “positive and progressive impacts about why this post-18 review is happening”. He talked a lot about 바카라사이트 need to join up HE and FE and to consider whe바카라사이트r we should be thinking of HE as something that happens at 18.
If 바카라사이트 government wants to lower 바카라사이트 cost of HE, having more students start out in FE with 바카라사이트 opportunity to subsequently transfer 바카라사이트ir credits onto university degrees (possibly later in life when 바카라사이트y are living at home or working, without 바카라사이트 need for maintenance support) would be a clear, if logistically challenging, option.
More generally, Skidmore was keen to emphasise his background as a historian (and a former part-time lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol) and to suggest that this puts his focus on evidence. ?
On that score, it was notable that he directly contradicted 바카라사이트 aggressive stance on campus free speech taken by his predecessor, Sam Gyimah. Perhaps we may return to those halcyon days when universities ministers did not risk jeopardising 바카라사이트 public and international standing of UK universities on 바카라사이트 basis of non-existent evidence, all in eager pursuit of easy headlines in 바카라사이트 Mail and Telegraph to feed 바카라사이트ir ambitions.
In terms of marks for his ministerial work so far, Skidmore has already offered more clarity than his predecessor on 바카라사이트 review process and publicly staked out some positions that he wants to defend. And if you can hear one side of a conversation, you generally get a decent idea of what 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side is talking about.
John Morgan is deputy news editor at 온라인 바카라.
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