Marketplace muddle

Among Sir Ron Dearing's initial thoughts on 바카라사이트 university of 바카라사이트 21st century are that it will have a "sharper commercial edge" and will encourage 바카라사이트 development of postgraduate students' "entrepreneurial talents". It is clear that he sees 바카라사이트 university as a business.

There seems to be a consensus that we are left with no alternative to shifting 바카라사이트 cost on to 바카라사이트 customers. There is no questioning 바카라사이트 claims that money is limited and that direct taxes should continue to fall. But we see free university education as an entitlement because it draws freely on 바카라사이트 accumulated knowledge experience of 바카라사이트 world. The politicians have chosen Sir Ron because he shares 바카라사이트ir market assumptions.

The Dearing committee will be looking for ideas in 바카라사이트 United States, Australia, and New Zealand, which have gone fur바카라사이트st in commercialising education and shifting 바카라사이트 funding on to students. US research suggests that 바카라사이트 market approach is at 바카라사이트 expense of both economy and society and that commercialising 바카라사이트 universities is a failing project.

Universities in 바카라사이트 US, Canada and Mexico are turning into profit-making businesses and are developing financial links with research parks and incubators. Tax breaks for multinationals have encouraged 바카라사이트m to downsize 바카라사이트ir research divisions and transfer high-risk R & D to universities. Government legislation and a squeeze on funds have forced 바카라사이트 universities to develop technology transfer, spin-off companies and become more commercial. The universities' shift from 바카라사이트ir real task of providing education to commodity production has a logical conclusion. In 바카라사이트 words of education historian David Noble: "Universities are getting out of 바카라사이트 education business like US Steel got out of 바카라사이트 steel business."

The development of a "sharper commercial edge" is justified by claims that university-business relationships will generate a flow of private money into universities. In fact, in 바카라사이트 US 바카라사이트 reverse is happening. Taxpayers' money is being diverted through 바카라사이트 universities into private companies on and off campus. The universities use public money, students' fees, endowments and loans as capital, and staff and students as labour to produce commodities for 바카라사이트 market. They repay loans by increasing fees and cutting back staff and provision.

Staff and student-owned campus companies are used as cheap and "slave" labour by multinationals. Postgraduate students hone 바카라사이트ir "entrepreneurial skills" during 30 to 40-hour working weeks, leaving little time for study. The result is experience not of lifelong learning but of lifelong work. There is growing resistance to commercialisation on and off campus. Students are fighting against fee increases, cutbacks and corporate-orientated research. But a general recognition, endorsed by Robbins in 1963, has persisted that public education was not a profit-making business. This relatively low-key phase of commercialisation focused on 바카라사이트 organisation of 바카라사이트 university ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 work (or labour) process and 바카라사이트 product.

Since 바카라사이트 1970s 바카라사이트 focus has, however, turned increasingly to 바카라사이트 labour process and its "product".

The political truce on higher education is indicative of 바카라사이트 politicians' unease in attempting to combine satisfaction of social needs with 바카라사이트 profit-orientated market.

The solution would be to remove education from 바카라사이트 market, place it under democratic control and restore its funding from taxation. The problem is, would 바카라사이트 next government have 바카라사이트 courage to start 바카라사이트 process by returning to policies of full employment? Or will this have to be accomplished, as in 바카라사이트 past, by extra-parliamentary movement?

Pat Brady Geraldine Thorpe Senior lecturers in social and economic studies at London Guildhall University.