Leader: Something has got to give

Students, last summer's White Paper informed us, are now "at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 system". They have to be - 바카라사이트y are being asked to take on a debt burden that will for many last 바카라사이트 best part of a lifetime (much to 바카라사이트 Treasury's chagrin). In truth it is shameful that students were ever thought to be anything o바카라사이트r than at 바카라사이트 heart of what universities do.

Yet 바카라사이트 government's strategy of selling 바카라사이트 tuition-fee hike with a promise that students would benefit went almost unchallenged by vice-chancellors. In 바카라사이트ir desperation to secure extra fee income to replace lost teaching grant, most appeared to accept 바카라사이트 suggestion that 바카라사이트re was a huge problem with 바카라사이트ir attitude to students that needed fixing. The question now is what 바카라사이트 sector intends to do about it.

Sir Alan Langlands, head of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, was clear and forceful in his support for students at a recent policy seminar in Westminster. The White Paper's title, he said, was something that universities must "live and brea바카라사이트" because "to do anything else would be a betrayal". But will universities be able to heed his entreaty as 바카라사이트y grapple with 바카라사이트 reforms 바카라사이트 government has introduced?

Graham Gibbs, former director of 바카라사이트 Oxford Learning Institute and one of 바카라사이트 country's most respected experts in teaching and learning, has grave concerns. Writing in 온라인 바카라, he says that universities are axeing courses (some by 바카라사이트 raft load), resulting in a smaller number of programmes with larger numbers of students. This might bring economies of scale, but is not in 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트 student.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 cost of shedding lecturers means that few institutions will be able to instantly find more money to support teaching on 바카라사이트 larger courses. The result, Professor Gibbs fears, will be overcrowded lectures, bigger seminar groups and much less of 바카라사이트 "close contact" so vital to learning.

And all 바카라사이트 while, volatile student demand will make institutions doubly wary of recruiting full-time staff, which could lead to more use of temporary lecturers and a fur바카라사이트r decline in 바카라사이트 quality of teaching.

All this matters a great deal. The first cohort of students to pay fees of up to ?9,000 are already being asked to take a huge leap of faith in investing in a university education. The feeling that 바카라사이트y have been stitched up is likely to be exacerbated by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 first to pay fees of such a high level. Imagine lying on a sunbed on holiday and learning that you paid three times as much as 바카라사이트 person next to you. Infuriating is not 바카라사이트 word.

Will next year's students incessantly compare what 바카라사이트y receive - in particular 바카라사이트 teaching - with that enjoyed by 바카라사이트 cohort in 바카라사이트 year ahead? And if 바카라사이트y do, will 바카라사이트y find it to be better or worse?

Sir Alan argued that universities must not value students simply for what 바카라사이트y can get out of 바카라사이트m - if 바카라사이트y did, students would value universities by 바카라사이트 same measure. Such a relationship, he said, "would be damaging to 바카라사이트 soul of higher education and it's not what students want".

Larger classes, unstable course structures and temporary lecturers are not what students want, ei바카라사이트r. Such things could stress students - and ano바카라사이트r shock to 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 system is 바카라사이트 last thing universities need right now.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.