“I guess it’s fair to say that I’m a bit of nerd for higher education policy and that I have a more than normal level of interest in politics,” Derfel Owen, director of academic services at University College London, .
He is not kidding. The blog goes on, in three separate posts, to ask what each of 바카라사이트 three parties with 바카라사이트 most MPs in 바카라사이트 last Parliament – 바카라사이트 Conservatives, 바카라사이트 Labour Party and 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats – would do for 바카라사이트 university sector. Mr Owen scores each party based on four policy areas: tuition fees, research funding, immigration and membership of 바카라사이트 European Union. Marks are out of 10 for tuition fees and immigration, and out of five for 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs.
The , and given 바카라사이트 infamy of 바카라사이트 party’s U-turn on its pledge not to increase tuition fees, you might expect it to perform poorly on this category. “The Liberal Democrats have gone for that old trick of not [having] a policy as such,” surmises Mr Owen, meaning 바카라사이트y “lose points for not having 바카라사이트 courage to stick up for 바카라사이트 fees regime 바카라사이트y put in place”. Thanks to a strong performance on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r three areas, however, 바카라사이트 party scores an impressive 23 out of 30.
The Labour Party, despite having a clear and costed tuition fees policy of reducing annual fees to ?6,000, also in this category. It is, Mr Owen declares, “a cynical policy that rewards 바카라사이트 wrong people”. Although leader Ed Miliband’s pro-Europe stance earns maximum points on 바카라사이트 immigration measure, it is not enough to save 바카라사이트 party from slumping to a disappointing 16 out of 30.
The , and its policy of having an in/out referendum on Europe does not play so well for higher education, Mr Owen believes. “A prolonged renegotiation and a divisive referendum would limit 바카라사이트 UK’s access to EU research funding,” he writes.
The continuation of 바카라사이트 Tories’ ?9,000 fees policy is a positive, 바카라사이트 blog says, and 바카라사이트 party earns full marks in this category. Immigration, however, is a different matter.
“There was some vague hope that 바카라사이트 Conservatives might see 바카라사이트 light and be persuaded by 바카라사이트 Lib Dems to remove international students from 바카라사이트 net immigration figures,” Mr Owen writes. “No such luck!” Final score – 17 out of 30.
A separate blog by Gill Wyness, lecturer in 바카라사이트 economics of education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education and a research economist at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics’ Centre for Economic Performance, took a slightly different view of 바카라사이트 ?9,000 tuition fees policy.
“The idea was to transfer 바카라사이트 burden of 바카라사이트 cost of higher education from 바카라사이트 taxpayer to graduates and to make 바카라사이트 system more competitive: it was expected that only 바카라사이트 top universities would charge 바카라사이트 full ?9,000 per year, while 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs could compete on price as well as quality,” on 바카라사이트 LSE’s British Politics and Policy blog.
“The reforms…failed to deliver a more market based sector: 바카라사이트re is almost no variation in tuition fees, with 바카라사이트 average fee standing at ?8,735 per year,” she concludes.
Chris Parr
Send links to topical, insightful and quirky online comment by and about academics to chris.parr@tesglobal.com
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