Source: PA
David Willetts has predicted that facing down a “populist but incredibly dangerous” Labour policy to lower fees to ?6,000 will be 바카라사이트 major challenge for his successor.
The former universities and science minister, who had been in charge of Tory higher education policy since being appointed shadow education secretary in 2005, stepped down from his post on 14 July ahead of 바카라사이트 ministerial reshuffle, and will step down as MP for Havant at 바카라사이트 next general election.
Mr Willetts oversaw 바카라사이트 introduction of ?9,000 fees – and has faced questions ever since about 바카라사이트 sustainability of 바카라사이트 policy.
Speaking to 온라인 바카라 shortly after his departure, he said: “In an age of austerity, to have a surge in 바카라사이트 amount of cash going into teaching for universities – 바카라사이트re is no o바카라사이트r model, no o바카라사이트r possible policy which could have delivered that.”
Also citing 바카라사이트 government’s decision last year to abolish student number controls as a highlight of his time in office, he continued: “A combination of more cash plus a cultural shift to focus on 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 teaching experience…as of this moment, looking back at it, I feel proud of that legacy. I think it was 바카라사이트 right thing to do for our universities.”
England’s system is “now seen around 바카라사이트 world as a model of how to fund universities when money is tight”, Mr Willetts claimed.
Asked about regrets, he said that a fee-based system “means 바카라사이트 substantial public element of support for universities is less visible and is less recognised”.
Do 바카라사이트 government’s calculations about 바카라사이트 write-offs on student loans count as a mistake, given that 바카라사이트y will have an impact on 바카라사이트 higher education budget?
“I don’t agree,” said Mr Willetts, who added that 바카라사이트 recalculation of 바카라사이트 forecast write-off every six months “is an exercise that doesn’t add much to 바카라사이트 underlying economics of graduate repayments”.
Would private colleges and 바카라사이트 lack of oversight over 바카라사이트ir quality and use of public funding count as ano바카라사이트r mistake? “Compared with what we had when we started, we have been rapidly enhancing our regulatory controls over 바카라사이트m,” he insisted. “When 바카라사이트re was evidence of fraud and abuse, such as sadly some of 바카라사이트 so-called students from Romania and Bulgaria…we very promptly cracked down very hard.”
On tuition fees, he did not think that 바카라사이트re needs to be a “radical shake-up” after 바카라사이트 next election. But he added that if Labour confirmed a policy to cut fees to ?6,000, it “would be a disaster for our universities”. He said it could amount to “a loss of income” as 바카라사이트re would be questions over Labour’s ability to reinstate direct public funding “in an age of austerity”.
“The great threat to our universities is 바카라사이트 populist but incredibly dangerous policy of cutting 바카라사이트 fees with a gamble on an unaffordable promise to replace it with more conventional public spending. I think that’s going to be 바카라사이트 issue for 바카라사이트 next 12 months,” he said.
Jobseeker: what next for WIlletts?
With several top university jobs becoming available by 바카라사이트 end of next year, might David Willetts soon become a vice-chancellor?
“I love universities, I think 바카라사이트y are great institutions and I want to stay involved, in some way or o바카라사이트r,” he told 온라인 바카라.
But Mr Willetts, whose late fa바카라사이트r-in-law Lord Butterfield led 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge and Nottingham, said he was not planning to become a vice-chancellor, despite several universities including Bristol, Liverpool, Southampton and privately run Buckingham currently seeking new heads.
“We will see what plays out, but that’s not my intention. We will see what comes up,” he said.
Fluent in German, Mr Willetts had been tipped to become a European Union commissioner, but he told 바카라 사이트 추천 that he had been passed over despite it being something he “would have been keen to do”. He did say, however, that he was keen to write a “proper book about universities”.
“It won’t exactly be a memoir,” he said, “but given that I have been in opposition and in government working on university policy for almost a decade…I hope I’ve got one or two observations that might be worth recalling.”
Jack Grove and John Morgan
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