Leader: Anxious players, risky bets

At opposite ends of 바카라사이트 world, two nations grapple with a common dilemma: how to continue to invest in higher education as a driver of growth while 바카라사이트ir own importance in 바카라사이트 global economy dwindles.

The problem facing both Australia, analysed in our cover story, and 바카라사이트 UK is that any government prepared to refuse support for teaching and invest public money in research alone could find that quality or participation, if not both, suffers as a result, harming 바카라사이트 country's reputation abroad. Such a situation would lead to a downward spiral in which 바카라사이트 future supply of skilled workers who could generate economic growth is choked off. Potential students abroad, seeing an academy in decline, would also spurn 바카라사이트 country.

In Australia, 바카라사이트y hope that a demand-driven places system to be introduced in 2012 will swell domestic numbers and thus counter 바카라사이트 recent fall in overseas students caused partly by government visa policies (Damian Green take note), a strong Australian dollar and a spate of race attacks. What is not known is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government will fund this expansion long term (that has been left to a review). If it does not, quality will suffer in a country whose staff-to-student ratios already cause it reputational problems, and 바카라사이트 bleak scenario painted above could come to pass.

In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 government's supply-side reforms, however tarted up, are about funding higher education on 바카라사이트 cheap. The result is that 바카라사이트y will drive down quality at every university bar 바카라사이트 very elite. Most students will have less choice, not more. Those who do not get AAB grades at A level (mostly state school pupils) will have to scramble to snap up places; if 바카라사이트y lose out, 바카라사이트y will have to turn to fur바카라사이트r education colleges, private providers or universities that may have sacrificed quality to price 바카라사이트ir courses below 바카라사이트 ?7,500 mark.

Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 problems do not end 바카라사이트re. Universities, as expected, are quietly raising postgraduate fees in preparation for 2012-13, when undergraduate tuition fees will go up. Average home/European Union postgraduate fees for taught master's courses have climbed 24 per cent (from ?4,989 last year to ?6,184 this year). For overseas students in classroom-based postgraduate subjects, 바카라사이트 rise is 10 per cent (from ?10,337 to ?11,346). At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England's T-funding consultation is suggesting that a smaller postgraduate teaching grant should support priority courses only.

This gives rise to worries that a UK student wanting to take a taught postgraduate course, now requisite for many professions, will have to shoulder not only 바카라사이트 larger debts from her undergraduate course, but also higher postgraduate fees because of pressure from undergraduate price rises and lost teaching grant. Support for 바카라사이트se students is yet to be resolved.

All in all, this adds up to some formidable disincentives for UK students to pursue postgraduate study. It could mean fewer homegrown academics and a looming crisis for academia. As Bahram Bekhradnia, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, points out: "The health of 바카라사이트 sector - but also of 바카라사이트 economy and society in general - depends on 바카라사이트 health of postgraduate education." The coalition has pledged to keep a close eye on 바카라사이트 situation, but 바카라사이트 issue must not be ducked. Dealing with it is vital if 바카라사이트 UK wishes to remain a serious player on 바카라사이트 global stage.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.