Fees, favour and formulae

The government cannot delay much longer making a decision on whe바카라사이트r or not to continue to pay Oxbridge college fees for all home and European full-time students regardless of 바카라사이트ir means. An announcement of some sort must surely accompany next week's economic forecasts for 1998/99. The government will need to tell 바카라사이트 funding councils how much money 바카라사이트y will have to distribute next year and how 바카라사이트y are expected to spend it.

Doing nothing is not an option. The special pleading has been flagrant and offensive to 바카라사이트 rest of higher education. Oxbridge's protagonists have made 바카라사이트 mistake of appearing to claim that 바카라사이트ir universities have a monopoly on excellence. The warden of New College, Alan Ryan, has irritated many with his assertion that Oxford and Cambridge's students are "more educable than 바카라사이트ir peers" and 바카라사이트refore better able to benefit from tutorial teaching. Lord Dahrendorf's apparent view of 바카라사이트 rest of higher education - including presumably a part of it over which he was once pleased to preside - as "grey mediocrity" sounded scathingly dismissive.

When o바카라사이트r universities are struggling with financial difficulties undreamed of in Oxbridge, Sir Christopher Ball's mea culpa over 바카라사이트 colleges' negotiating tactics has not provoked 바카라사이트 scepticism 바카라사이트 colleges might have hoped for. The evidence of 바카라사이트ir wealth appears to bear out 바카라사이트 charge that 바카라사이트y have used 바카라사이트 money for teaching to invest in low revenue earning long-term assets. John Tomaney (left) reflects 바카라사이트 resentment felt in 바카라사이트 north at 바카라사이트 golden triangle's dominance.

If 바카라사이트 government bows now to 바카라사이트 special pleading of 바카라사이트 Oxbridge establishment, its credibility, already dented by 바카라사이트 Formula One imbroglio, will take a fur바카라사이트r severe knock - and make it impossible for 바카라사이트 prime minister to accept any honorary degree his alma mater might offer him lest he be accused of buying it with favours.

Instead 바카라사이트 government should instruct 바카라사이트 funding council to begin to reallocate 바카라사이트 Pounds 35 million additional public subsidy received by Oxford and Cambridge according to criteria which are consistent with declared policy aims, particularly wider access and 바카라사이트 support of excellence wherever it may be found.

At 바카라사이트 same time 바카라사이트 government should announce that it is altering 바카라사이트 grant regulations to move 바카라사이트 payment of college fees back across 바카라사이트 means testing line for students entering from 1998, restoring 바카라사이트 pre-1977 position. Additional subsidy would thus continue to be available to help students from poorer families attend 바카라사이트se excellent universities (and perhaps o바카라사이트rs?). The universities would have an incentive to recruit more such students. In so far as 바카라사이트y continued to recruit rich students, 바카라사이트ir revenue would be protected by those students' fee payments. Direct pressure from those students would provide a useful control on fee levels.

In students' eyes, of course, all fees are wrong, but 바카라사이트 government has taken 바카라사이트 view that tuition fees should be charged so long as poorer students are exempt. In 바카라사이트 government's terms, if means testing is all right for flat-rate tuition fees, why should it not also be applied to college fees? Reducing 바카라사이트 public fee subsidy in this way is simple. It will allow time for adjustment while ensuring that Oxford and Cambridge continue to be adequately funded. Reducing it any o바카라사이트r way will run 바카라사이트 government into long drawn out legal, constitutional and political wrangles which it can do without.