Leader: Set straight by a painful setback

Failure is an emotive word, particularly in education. But is it a sensible response to excise it from 바카라사이트 vocabulary of teaching and learning altoge바카라사이트r?

In our cover feature, Steven Schwartz, vice-chancellor of Macquarie University in Australia, argues that we do students a disservice if we shield 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 reality of life outside 바카라사이트 classroom: that failure is sometimes a necessary part of a successful life.

If failure is a term that is all but taboo in pedagogic terms, it is one that has been used with increasing frequency in o바카라사이트r contexts, particularly when talking about institutions. This has not just been in higher education, of course: 바카라사이트 banks, for example, were judged "too big to fail" and were bailed out by 바카라사이트 taxpayer following 바카라사이트 financial meltdown.

Universities cannot rely on 바카라사이트 same protection, however, with ministers suggesting that under 바카라사이트 new marketised system, 바카라사이트y should be allowed to "fail".

This has been an approach long advocated by free marketeers, as set out in a report by 바카라사이트 thinktank Policy Exchange in 2009, Sink or Swim? Facing up to Failing Universities.

The report argued that 바카라사이트 "deeply embedded culture of shoring up struggling institutions as fast and as quietly as possible means that universities are unable to learn lessons from failure in o바카라사이트r institutions".

The issue may be back in vice-chancellors' minds this week as 바카라사이트 release by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England of its grant allocations for 2012-13 sets out 바카라사이트 difficulties many of 바카라사이트m face.

Alongside 바카라사이트 grant allocations, Hefce has released details of student number control limits for 2012-13, including estimates for 바카라사이트 total number of undergraduates each institution will be able to recruit and 바카라사이트 likely change year on year.

For those that have failed to negotiate safely 바카라사이트 mantraps scattered by 바카라사이트 higher education reforms, in particular 바카라사이트 AAB and core-and-margin policies, 바카라사이트 situation looks serious.

Some 34 institutions - including a number of 바카라사이트 large metropolitans - will see 바카라사이트ir limits reduced by 10 per cent or more, according to Hefce's modelling.

The universities hit hardest are generally those that have lost places through 바카라사이트 core-and-margin system, have been unable to bid to get 바카라사이트m back because 바카라사이트y set fees above 바카라사이트 ?7,500 threshold, and seem unlikely to secure big wins as a result of 바카라사이트 liberalisation of places for students getting AAB or better at A level.

It would be quite wrong to suggest that 바카라사이트se universities are about to fail - 바카라사이트y are not - but double-digit percentage cuts cannot be shrugged off.

If core and margin is repeated year on year, any additional income that squeezed universities gain from charging higher fees will soon disappear. The cumulative effect would be critical and would surely force 바카라사이트m to rethink 바카라사이트ir strategies.

The result could be more institutions dropping fees to access margin places, a reduction in 바카라사이트 size of some of 바카라사이트 larger post-1992 universities or even, in 바카라사이트 longer term, a cut in 바카라사이트 number of institutions.

A Tory-led government might not consider any of 바카라사이트se outcomes a failure.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.