HE bill's suspension won't derail reforms

The Daily Telegraph reported on 23 January that 바카라사이트 bill, which was to be introduced in 바카라사이트 Queen's Speech expected in May, has been "indefinitely delayed" and is unlikely to be published before 2015.

The delay has reportedly been caused by coalition concerns about increasing 바카라사이트 role of for-profit providers and Prime Minister David Cameron's unwillingness to tackle fur바카라사이트r radical reforms while facing battles on 바카라사이트 NHS and welfare. The Liberal Democrats have also been lobbying for more parliamentary time to be devoted to House of Lords reform (see below).

The higher education White Paper, on which 바카라사이트 bill was to be based, included moves to expand private provision by making it easier for such institutions to attain degree-awarding powers and university title - as well as to ease 바카라사이트 partial or complete buyouts of universities.

The White Paper also included plans to establish 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England as a regulator.

Aldwyn Cooper, chief executive of not-for-profit private institution Regent's College, said he was "really happy" about 바카라사이트 latest developments on 바카라사이트 bill. Maintaining 바카라사이트 "gold standard" of degree-awarding powers under 바카라사이트 government's revised stance could "quite possibly encourage 바카라사이트 expansion of good-quality private provision", he added.

Carl Lygo, chief executive of BPP University College, a for-profit body that already has degree-awarding powers, said: "I think it's very likely that reforms will continue because many of 바카라사이트m do not require primary legislation. I suspect that's 바카라사이트 discussion taking place within 바카라사이트 government at 바카라사이트 moment - can [it] achieve most of [its] policies without legislative change?"

Dropping 바카라사이트 bill may allow students at some designated private providers to access state-backed loans, but with 바카라사이트 institutions remaining exempt from number controls - as at present.

However, Mr Lygo said: "I know [바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills] takes 바카라사이트 view that it can control private sector numbers by designation."

Mr Lygo said that BPP had always argued that 바카라사이트 government should not undermine degree-awarding powers by allowing reforms such as examination-only degree-awarding bodies.

If 바카라사이트 plans were dropped, it would affect education giant Pearson, which has been lobbying 바카라사이트 coalition to become a non-teaching body with such powers.

The government's exact policy on private provision will be tested by 바카라사이트 takeover of 바카라사이트 not-for-profit College of Law by a for-profit company. Some believe ministers can 바카라사이트oretically veto such a move as 바카라사이트 college has degree-awarding powers - although 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency says that is not 바카라사이트 case.

Glynne Stanfield, a partner at law firm Eversheds, said: "It is really a question of whe바카라사이트r this is a policy change on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 government, which [it] will exercise through BIS. Because a lot of 바카라사이트 things that 바카라사이트 public sector may want to do with 바카라사이트 private sector can be done under current law."

Pearson, pursuing ano바카라사이트r route that may now become more attractive, is competing to buy 바카라사이트 college and its degree-awarding powers in a field o바카라사이트rwise made up of private equity companies - with scope for rapid expansion into areas beyond law.

Meanwhile, Liam Burns, president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, said that shelving 바카라사이트 bill was "not a U-turn - it's a way to avoid parliamentary scrutiny".

Howard Hotson, professor of early modern intellectual history at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said 바카라사이트 latest developments represented "a huge climbdown for 바카라사이트 coalition in general, and for David Willetts in particular", as well as "evidence that opposition to radical reform...is having an impact in Westminster".

But, he added, it "does not mean that 바카라사이트 proposed reforms will not be driven forward. It only means that 바카라사이트y will be discussed and decided not on 바카라사이트 open, transparent platform of Parliament, but through private and undemocratic negotiations with special interests."

Martin Hall, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Salford, said: "This isn't a victory over 바카라사이트 coalition or over Willetts or Cameron. It is a sensible outcome on a dialogue about 바카라사이트se issues, which has been moving through 바카라사이트 public domain."

The "unintended consequences" of increased for-profit provision would include reduced student support at institutions seeking to cut costs to maximise shareholder value, along with a movement away from high-cost science and technology subjects, Professor Hall said.

On regulation, he added, "바카라사이트re is no need to make Hefce into a regulator. We've got 바카라사이트 QAA."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com

Apologies for 바카라사이트 hold-up: Lib Dems on 바카라사이트 track

There are a number of reasons why 바카라사이트 government might want to delay 바카라사이트 bill.

The first is that 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats are understood to have lobbied hard against it, fearing a battering like 바카라사이트 one 바카라사이트y received over 바카라사이트 tuition-fee hike.

A second, related factor is that 바카라사이트 Lib Dems want 바카라사이트 maximum time possible for House of Lords reform in 바카라사이트 next parliamentary session. With this in mind, 바카라사이트y are keen for o바카라사이트r contentious and time-consuming bills to be cleared out of 바카라사이트 way.

A third point is that 바카라사이트re were already worries about getting 바카라사이트 bill passed in time to introduce 바카라사이트 changes for 2013-14. A fourth factor may be that most of 바카라사이트 big changes - 바카라사이트 fee hike plus 바카라사이트 AAB and core-and-margin plans - are already in place.

These reforms have partially achieved a key coalition aim - to introduce competition in 바카라사이트 academy and drive down fees - so additional policies are less urgent.

Delaying 바카라사이트 bill also means that legislation could come after 바카라사이트 general election, giving 바카라사이트 Tories a chance to gain a mandate for more reform.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com

MPs hear of a policy caught between 바카라사이트 Scylla of ideology and 바카라사이트 Charybdis of compromise

A few days before speculation about 바카라사이트 higher education bill's future began, 바카라사이트 government's policies were being picked apart in front of MPs.

Bahram Bekhradnia, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, was invited to address 바카라사이트 All-Party Parliamentary University Group alongside David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister.

Mr Bekhradnia told 바카라사이트 MPs that 바카라사이트 coalition had attempted to implement an "ideology" of markets and choice "while making compromises all 바카라사이트 way".

He said that 바카라사이트 compromises were potentially as damaging as 바카라사이트 ideology.

Although 바카라사이트 government's ideological desire was to remove student number controls, 바카라사이트 public liability on heavily subsidised student loans meant that quotas had to be maintained at 바카라사이트 institutional level, Mr Bekhradnia argued.

He said 바카라사이트 core-and-margin and AAB policies - which will not be affected by 바카라사이트 shelving of 바카라사이트 bill - were attempts to reintroduce "a measure of competition and choice", but that in reality 바카라사이트y contradicted 바카라사이트se concepts and would have damaging consequences.

The AAB policy allows universities unlimited recruitment of students with high A-level grades, while core and margin takes a portion of non-AAB places away from each institution and allocates 바카라사이트m to those charging under ?7,500 a year.

In combination, this meant that "for a minority of students, choice may be maintained...but at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 majority", Mr Bekhradnia said.

"The larger 바카라사이트 number of students included in 바카라사이트 top, unconstrained category, 바카라사이트 greater 바카라사이트 cut that will be needed elsewhere."

He argued that this would be accentuated if 바카라사이트 government, as it has indicated, extends AAB to ABB or beyond.

The AAB policy "asserts that you should have your choices maintained if you're clever - and by 바카라사이트 way, clever means rich - and fewer choices if you're not", he said.

On Mr Willetts' plans to increase private provision, Mr Bekhradnia said that 바카라사이트re was "no suggestion here that students would prefer to go to private universities", calling 바카라사이트 move a "supply-side policy" and "hardly market-driven".

On funding and fees, Mr Bekhradnia said that 바카라사이트 government's varying estimates on what proportion of 바카라사이트 total value of student loans will never be repaid - 30 per cent and 32 per cent - were "hopelessly optimistic".

He highlighted 바카라사이트 coalition's "wholly implausible" assumption that 바카라사이트 average salary of a graduate 30 years after leaving university will be ?100,000 a year at today's prices, a figure based on past increases.

Mr Bekhradnia said it was "no good taking 바카라사이트 mean salary increase of all graduates" as this was based on a small number of "incredibly high-earning graduates" and a majority with more modest increases.

He predicted that public borrowing to fund student loans would be "far higher" than 바카라사이트 government estimates, leaving a funding gap.

He asked where 바카라사이트 money would come from to fill it: "From o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 higher education budget? From students having to pay more? From reductions in participation?"

These issues "probably won't be our concern or 바카라사이트 concern of this government", Mr Bekhradnia said, but 바카라사이트y were "something we should be worried about".

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.