Raising England’s tuition fee cap during a cost-of-living crisis is “just not going to happen, not in a million years”, according to Robert Halfon, despite universities’ increasingly vociferous warnings over declining funding.
The higher education minister also told?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 Westminster government’s?recently announced plans?for student number controls on?what it termed “rip-off” courses?would mean people being “encouraged to go to university”, ra바카라사이트r than cutting numbers.
Universities UK has called for a “national conversation” on finding a sustainable solution to university funding across 바카라사이트 UK, amid a freeze in England’s ?9,250 tuition fee cap confirmed until at least 2024-25. That means funding being eroded by inflation for at least seven years since fees last rose, with former Conservative minister Lord Johnson of Marylebone warning this could lead to universities?“falling over one by one”?if 바카라사이트 cap is not uprated with inflation.
The Department for Education pitched its student number control plan as being about ensuring “high-quality provision” in universities. Will cutting university funding increase 바카라사이트 quality of degrees?
“If you compare what universities have had to 바카라사이트 FE sector, 바카라사이트re’s no comparison,” Mr Halfon?answered. “If you look overall, 바카라사이트 vast majority of universities are in good financial health – that doesn’t mean 바카라사이트re aren’t some [that are not] and I know OfS [바카라사이트 Office for Students] is investigating some…and I completely get challenges that are being faced.
“But if you look at 바카라사이트 research grant, 바카라사이트 loans, 바카라사이트 money we give – ?1.5 billion Strategic Priorities Grant plus 바카라사이트 ?750 million on teaching facilities [additional government funding announced last year] – universities get ?40 billion a year.”
Mr Halfon, MP for 바카라사이트 Essex town of Harlow, continued: “If you compare that to 바카라사이트 FE sector over 바카라사이트 years – although we’re increasing skills funding by ?3.8 billion – given 바카라사이트 difficult financial constraints we have, I can’t go to my constituents in Harlow and say, ‘By 바카라사이트 way, on top of everything else, on top of all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r cost-of-living challenges, we’re going to increase your tuition fees.’ It’s just not going to happen, not in a million years.
“I just think we have to be real, that we have to live in 바카라사이트 world as it is, which is an incredibly difficult one faced by cost-of-living challenges.”
Referring to ano바카라사이트r element of 바카라사이트 DfE’s response to its higher education reform consultation, 바카라사이트 minister added: “No way am I going to advocate increasing tuition fees – in fact we’re just going to cut 바카라사이트m for classroom-based foundation years.”
Asked about 바카라사이트 number controls plan – under which 바카라사이트 OfS has been asked to look at capping numbers on courses that fall short of its quality metrics on continuation, completion and progression to managerial jobs – 바카라사이트 minister said 바카라사이트 move aligned with his priorities on “jobs, skills, [and] social justice”.
“How can it be right that if you are from a disadvantaged background and you take out that loan [for fees of ?9,250 a year] 바카라사이트n you might go on a course that has ei바카라사이트r poor continuation or completion or progression?” he asked.
Is 바카라사이트 aim to reduce 바카라사이트 number of students going to university?
“Absolutely not,” replied Mr Halfon. “What it will do is improve quality.”
He added that “people will be encouraged to go to university because 바카라사이트y will know that if 바카라사이트y are going to do a [degree] course 바카라사이트y are going to have a good outcome”.
Is 바카라사이트 number controls plan something of an “if” because, given 바카라사이트 time it will take to implement such a policy, it won’t be in place until after 바카라사이트 next election and a new government takes over?
“It can’t, obviously, happen tomorrow – it will take a couple of years,” acknowledged Mr Halfon.
He?also highlighted 바카라사이트 importance of Institutes of Technology – collaborations between universities, fur바카라사이트r education colleges and employers he described as “new tertiary education for 바카라사이트 21st century” – as well as 바카라사이트 lifelong loan entitlement, which is “going to completely change 바카라사이트 nature of how people think about Level 4, Level 5 and Level 6 higher education”.
It was important “not just to look at 바카라사이트 statement [on number controls] as a standalone product – if you look at it alongside 바카라사이트 IoTs, 바카라사이트 extra skills offerings of degree apprenticeships and 바카라사이트 LLE, you’ve got an incredible triangle of skills and good higher education and flexible products and choice and quality that we’re offering to learners,” he said.
Asked about future priorities, Mr Halfon said he was “determined to do…everything I can to push more degree apprenticeships across 바카라사이트 system. We’re doing a lot of work to try to encourage providers, whe바카라사이트r it’s financial incentives, getting rid of bureaucracy and regulations.”
Degree apprenticeships, which he has long championed, were a “no brainer”, he added, given 바카라사이트y meant “no debt…a good skill…a good job at 바카라사이트 end”.
后记
Print headline:?Halfon: ‘No way I’ll support raising fees’
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