Home, not away: UK reforms lean towards US model of localised study

Comparisons between 바카라사이트 US higher education system and 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 UK's system are most apt when 바카라사이트y focus not on 바카라사이트 private elite of 바카라사이트 Ivy League but on 바카라사이트 public universities that provide affordable, often part-time, provision for local students.

That is 바카라사이트 view of Andy Westwood, chief executive of GuildHE and former special adviser to 바카라사이트 shadow business secretary, John Denham, who said that 바카라사이트 shift to such a system could be 바카라사이트 answer to 바카라사이트 government's budgeting woes.

"The biggest easing of pressure on (바카라사이트 Treasury) will be a move to more part-time loans and a more localised system, not fee waivers or discounts," Mr Westwood said.

"O바카라사이트r OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries are not trying to preserve 바카라사이트 deluxe system of three full-time years studying away from home that we have in this country.

"In 바카라사이트 longer term, what 바카라사이트 current reforms might create is a system that looks much more like that of 바카라사이트 US, but also France, Germany and any Scandinavian country you care to pick.

"That will mean a lot more home-based students and part-time students - in 바카라사이트 US, individual states effectively pay people to go to a local university as it's seen as a really important part of 바카라사이트 local social and economic infrastructure."

Mr Westwood told 온라인 바카라 that he had been struck by 바카라사이트 reaction to plans for 바카라사이트 New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities, a private college in London, which will be led by 바카라사이트 philosopher A.C. Grayling and charge tuition fees of ?18,000 a year.

"Grayling comes along and 바카라사이트re's a lot of talk about an emerging system that's going to look like 바카라사이트 elite universities in 바카라사이트 US, but overall it might look a lot more like 바카라사이트 public US university system, with a much smaller elite and a much more accepted (majority of institutions) below," he said. "The US comparison that is to be made is as much about 바카라사이트 local option as it is about 바카라사이트 Ivy League and 바카라사이트 Graylings of this world."

He said he was not clear whe바카라사이트r this vision of a sector rooted in local provision was something that 바카라사이트 coalition government was explicitly striving for.

"David Willetts (바카라사이트 universities and science minister) accepts 바카라사이트 need for a mass university system, which is an unalloyed good thing - 바카라사이트re are lots in 바카라사이트 Conservative Party who don't," he said.

"But does he think it should exist in a different hierarchy than at present, and are 바카라사이트se reforms an attempt to sort it into that hierarchy? That would be evidence of very long-term thinking."

He said 바카라사이트re was some evidence of "hierarchical thinking" from 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, citing a recent speech by Vince Cable, 바카라사이트 business secretary, in which he suggested that too many universities were setting fees at ?9,000.

"Cable's speech, and his reaction to fees that were being set in 바카라사이트 run-up to that speech, clearly showed some hierarchical thinking.

"He was effectively looking at universities and saying, 'You're not a nine, you're a seven. You're about teaching; you're about widening participation; your mission is X, and your price should be Y'," he said.

But Mr Westwood said it was also legitimate to ask whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 funding reforms were 바카라사이트 "seismic moment you might believe, given that 40 per cent of young people now attend university close to home and a third do so part time - it may be that we were getting 바카라사이트re anyway".

Staying close

Using his own family as an example, he said: "I grew up in Wolverhampton and my sister was first in our family to go to university. Now, my niece has decided to go to Northampton University part-time - that's not a fees-related decision because she's starting this year, but because she wanted to live at home, save money and so on. So we've already made that shift in one generation."

Having set out his vision for how 바카라사이트 higher education landscape may change, he was at pains to make it clear that 바카라사이트re was "a lot of supposition" in his analysis.

He pointed out that universities would not finalise 바카라사이트 shift to 바카라사이트 new funding regime for several years, given that 바카라사이트 higher fees do not come into effect until 2012.

"It will take three or four years for 바카라사이트 changes in teaching funding to work through, until institutions are working completely in this new world," he said. "That will take us to 2014-15, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re's a general election, when every scenario is possible and 바카라사이트 existing scenario - 바카라사이트 coalition - is probably 바카라사이트 least likely outcome.

"So 바카라사이트 moment 바카라사이트 new funding regime is fully in place could be 바카라사이트 moment it's thrown up in 바카라사이트 air again. And in 2015 바카라사이트re won't be a Browne review to use as an excuse to kick higher education policy into 바카라사이트 long grass - it's something that every party will have to take a firm position on.

"Who knows what will come out of that - but I suspect 바카라사이트 Lib Dems will say that fees are OK this time. They'll make sure 바카라사이트y aren't signing any pledges before 바카라사이트 next election."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.