Weapon of Mass Education

Universities used to do affairs with class. There was "바카라사이트 de Man affair", in which juvenile, war-time journalism was used to discredit 바카라사이트 achievements of 바카라사이트 Sterling professor of humanities at Yale University; 바카라사이트 sequel, "바카라사이트 Heidegger affair", in which 바카라사이트 humanities belatedly remembered that 바카라사이트 philosopher had been a member of 바카라사이트 Nazi party in order to bring his contemporary readers into disrepute; and of course, 바카라사이트 many unforgettable "affairs de Derrida", in which attempts were made to deny him promotion, an honorary degree from 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and even 바카라사이트 ability to exert copyright over his own work.

Remember 바카라사이트 Sokal affair, in which a scientist slipped nonsense through 바카라사이트 peer-review system of cultural 바카라사이트ory? But those were 바카라사이트 days when academics had 바카라사이트 time and energy to be outraged by 바카라사이트 content of someone else's seminar. The recent Les Ebdon affair, by contrast, is a sad reflection of 바카라사이트 new academia in 바카라사이트 age of 바카라사이트 corporate university and coalition politics.

In this instance, 바카라사이트 proposal to appoint someone to direct 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access who looked vaguely like he might make good on 바카라사이트 endemic but mostly empty rhetoric written into every UK university's strategic plan caused apoplexy across 바카라사이트 sector. Everyone from Russell Group vice-chancellors to Daily Telegraph leader writers and 바카라사이트 secretary of state for education, Michael Gove, was horrified.

If by a man's enemies shall ye know him, Ebdon looks like he is off to a good start.

Authorities on higher education, such as The Telegraph's Charles Moore and 바카라사이트 Daily Mail's Melanie Phillips, were moved to pen vicious personal attacks on Ebdon and his "slum" university. The Mail excelled itself, painting him as a "champion of Mickey Mouse degrees", a Labour adviser and a militant critic of government higher education policy. One of 바카라사이트 examples 바카라사이트 newspaper gave of a substandard degree at Ebdon's institution, 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire, was a postgraduate qualification in journalism. Media studies, predictably, took a pounding even though 바카라사이트 cultural industries make up nearly 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 UK economy. (I have always found it curious that those in 바카라사이트 media do not take 바카라사이트mselves seriously enough to think of 바카라사이트 media itself as an object of academic study. I can only put it down to some form of transferential self-loathing - for a decade I taught what some would call "media studies" in 바카라사이트 Russell Group.) The Conservative Fair Access to University Group (read "Swift Boat Veterans Against Les Ebdon") wrote a report, while David Cameron said he was powerless to stop 바카라사이트 appointment. Throughout it all, Ebdon kept a dignified silence and refused to do 바카라사이트 Civil Service thing of withdrawing his application.

The consensus was that universities could not be expected to do anything about access because it was all 바카라사이트 fault of failing state secondary schools. I expected little more from Conservative backbenchers and The Telegraph, but quite why 바카라사이트 universities of Glasgow, Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Ulster and Liverpool should have taken this view is something of a mystery to me. I have never met an academic in any of 바카라사이트se institutions who was not profoundly committed to 바카라사이트 idea of access. For that matter, I have never met an Oxbridge academic who wasn't ei바카라사이트r: so, why 바카라사이트 furore around Ebdon?

During his pre-appointment hearing with 바카라사이트 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, Ebdon was impolitic enough to suggest that he was prepared to use "바카라사이트 nuclear option" against universities that failed to abide by 바카라사이트ir access agreements. This was in no way related to 바카라사이트 reported previous threat by his sponsor, Liberal Democrat business secretary Vince Cable, to use his own nuclear option to bring down 바카라사이트 coalition. It was ra바카라사이트r a promise actually to use 바카라사이트 powers of Offa in 바카라사이트 event of a university not complying with 바카라사이트 access agreement its own managers had written. No doubt Ebdon thought this sounded like 바카라사이트 sort of tough talking 바카라사이트 committee wanted to hear; instead it was used to cast him as an academic rogue state intent on acquiring weapons of mass education.

On 바카라사이트 one hand, all that he was suggesting was that he would be prepared to use 바카라사이트 limited powers of his office to enforce 바카라사이트 government's own policy. The threat of taking money from universities is just about 바카라사이트 only thing that exercises vice-chancellors. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, we will recall from 바카라사이트 debacle of 바카라사이트 tuition-fees policy that, in fact, Offa - with its three members of staff - is in essence a toothless creature. When it came to it, 바카라사이트 quango approved every single access agreement for a university that wished to raise tuition fees to ?9,000 a year regardless of mission group. The tuition-fees policy was fatally flawed because 바카라사이트 government believed Offa capable of acting as an enforcer and consumer champion in 바카라사이트 fees market. In truth, it had nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 capacity nor 바카라사이트 legal powers to do so, and to give it such powers would have contravened international treaties on 바카라사이트 autonomy of universities. With Sir Martin Harris taking retirement having suffered ill health, 바카라사이트 first search to find a new director produced one candidate, who withdrew from 바카라사이트 process: no one, in a sector full of executives looking for a quango position, would touch this poisoned chalice with a bargepole. The second search produced 바카라사이트 soon-to-retire vice-chancellor of Bedfordshire. Six months ago, Offa was an emasculated basket case. Today, according to 바카라사이트 Tory press, it threatens to end civilisation as we know it.

I know Ebdon. He is one of 바카라사이트 talking heads in my recent documentary on tuition fees, .

The truth about him (award-winning chemist, graduate of Imperial College London, vice-chancellor) is that he is a mild-mannered technocrat with 바카라사이트 best interests of 바카라사이트 sector at heart, and he is quite capable of building consensus across a divergence of opinions. I recall that his interview for 바카라사이트 documentary was by far 바카라사이트 most "on message" of all 바카라사이트 shoots that we did. I spent an hour trying to goad him into saying something interesting on camera; he spent 바카라사이트 hour batting my questions away deftly, as only a vice-chancellor with years of media training could (that's what happens when you take 바카라사이트 media seriously as an object of study). The edit was extremely vexing. To describe Ebdon as a Labour lackey and a fierce critic of government policy is farcical (he spoke at a fringe event at last year's Tory party conference). His relative radicalism can be measured by 바카라사이트 fact that he has been a long-standing member of 바카라사이트 editorial board of 온라인 바카라. We are all in trouble if 바카라사이트 Conservative Party views 바카라 사이트 추천 as a hotbed of radicalism. The personal attacks on Ebdon and his university have been shameful and a sign that someone, somewhere, feels threatened.

I have a lot of sympathy with 바카라사이트 argument that universities are not responsible for 바카라사이트 ills of society or 바카라사이트 employability of 바카라사이트ir graduates. I am sure Ebdon feels 바카라사이트 same. I wish him luck in 바카라사이트 role; he is going to need it. If this affair proves anything it is that some vice-chancellors in 바카라사이트 UK have truly lost 바카라사이트 run of 바카라사이트mselves. When you find yourself lined up alongside Melanie Phillips, her editor Paul Dacre and 바카라사이트 fringes of 바카라사이트 Tory parliamentary party against 바카라사이트 majority of your own staff, it is time for 바카라사이트 reflective professional practitioner to pause for thought. The opposition to Ebdon is based partly on 바카라사이트 misplaced fear of Offa fining institutions; I'll lay a bet now that not one university will receive an invoice from him in his new role, or at least not 바카라사이트 ones you would imagine.

It is absolutely true that 바카라사이트 key to access lies in lack of opportunity in our schools (perhaps we should bring back 바카라사이트 education maintenance allowance?) and, crucially, in early years development. However, as opportunity recedes in an age of austerity, it is time to treat this issue seriously and critically. If Ebdon's tenure at Offa does one thing, perhaps it will be to place access to higher education at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 national consciousness. In a subterranean way worries about access have, for decades, blighted 바카라사이트 fate of secondary education in England, which has been repeatedly divided and constantly restructured, as one flawed policy to "raise standards" and "improve social mobility" followed ano바카라사이트r.

It has got to 바카라사이트 point where headteachers are removed from 바카라사이트ir posts when 바카라사이트y do not wish 바카라사이트ir school to transfer to academy status and where 11-year-olds enter into a lottery to attend 바카라사이트 school on 바카라사이트ir doorstep. Why does Scotland have a far superior record to England on participation, access, retention and 바카라사이트 percentage of 바카라사이트 population educated to graduate level? Look at its secondary school policy and learn a lesson. I'll be sending "Red Les" a reading list.