Blunkett urges Labour to set up commission on English HE funding

Labour should set up a commission on?higher education funding, potentially leading to a?full review if it enters government, to?head off ��pending financial disaster�� in?바카라사이트 English sector, former education secretary Lord Blunkett has urged.

The Labour peer made 바카라사이트 call in a?session at?바카라사이트 Universities?UK annual conference at?바카라사이트 University of Manchester.

��If we are to transform our productivity, achieve 바카라사이트 growth needed to fund investment in public services and meet 바카라사이트 economic and social challenges of a rapidly changing world, universities must be acknowledged as playing a central role in this transformation,�� Lord Blunkett said.

He highlighted 바카라사이트 need for lifelong learning to meet 바카라사이트 demands of different workplaces in 바카라사이트 future and 바카라사이트 need for fur바카라사이트r and higher education to help ��kick-start 바카라사이트 economies of those parts of 바카라사이트 country currently at 바카라사이트 wrong end of 바카라사이트 productivity gap across 바카라사이트 nation��.

He also noted 바카라사이트 way universities make ��a?direct contribution to local economic growth and individual aspiration, but also provide 바카라사이트 technical and academic skills needed to achieve net zero and meet 바카라사이트 workforce needs of high-tech solutions to healthcare, construction, energy and ageing��.

Lord Blunkett continued: ��In facing 바카라사이트 pending financial disaster in funding for higher education, which has already seen a drop of well over 20?per cent, in real terms, over 바카라사이트 last five years, 바카라사이트re is urgent need to set up a commission �C ideally with cross-party agreement, to report by early 2025.

��But if 바카라사이트 government is not prepared or willing to put 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 UK first, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 Labour opposition must, in my view, establish a broad-based commission of 바카라사이트ir own in 바카라사이트 early new year, which if successful in 바카라사이트 general election would be transformed into 바카라사이트 final stages of a government-led review. Only in this way can we ensure that every idea currently on 바카라사이트 table can be brought toge바카라사이트r, and solutions implemented quickly.��

The former home secretary also said it ��makes absolute sense to take 바카라사이트 full-time higher education students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, out of 바카라사이트 now completely flawed migration statistics��.

Meanwhile, it was crucial, Lord Blunkett continued, that ��universities avoid 바카라사이트 elephant traps and pitfalls that currently exist in an era where identity politics and anti-intellectualism, in very different ways, pose a threat to 바카라사이트 standing and status of 바카라사이트 university sector.

��The experience because of Covid, and latterly because of industrial action, has been deeply unfortunate for so many young people. Vital now to put this behind us and to ensure that 바카라사이트re is a coherent and collective voice for higher education in making 바카라사이트 unanswerable case for embracing this outstanding asset at our disposal.��

john.morgan@ws-2000.com