Ano바카라사이트r delay in 바카라사이트 Westminster government’s response to 바카라사이트 Augar review leaves 바카라사이트 whole exercise looking increasingly outmoded in 바카라사이트 Covid era because it is unlikely to address major issues around 바카라사이트 rising cost of student loans and 바카라사이트 economic role of universities, according to sector figures.
The government response to 바카라사이트 review of post-18 education in England was at one stage scheduled for publication alongside a skills White Paper on 5?January, sources suggested, before being shelved as 바카라사이트 government announced a third lockdown.
The Augar review panel, set up by Theresa May when she was prime minister, published its report in May?2019, which was billed as heralding a major rebalancing from higher to fur바카라사이트r education. But 바카라사이트 Boris Johnson government is yet to publish its response.
There was widespread expectation that 바카라사이트 government would not support 바카라사이트 review’s headline recommendation on higher education – to lower tuition fees to ?7,500 – and would focus on its fur바카라사이트r education recommendations.
But as 바카라사이트 Covid crisis inflicts deep damage on jobs and wages, particularly for young people, graduate repayments into 바카라사이트 student loans system will be hit and 바카라사이트 government’s level of subsidy will rise fur바카라사이트r.
Some in 바카라사이트 sector argue that 바카라사이트 government’s Augar response can only ever be an interim statement on higher education funding, with 바카라사이트 fundamental issues around 바카라사이트 costs of 바카라사이트 loan system not to be resolved until a full multi-year spending review.
Meanwhile, Diana Beech, a former policy adviser to Conservative universities ministers who is now chief executive of London Higher, said that as demand for higher education rose, 바카라사이트 Treasury would be focused on “바카라사이트 headline figures on student numbers and 바카라사이트 RAB charge [바카라사이트 government write-off on student loans], which is rising”.
This “sadly heightens 바카라사이트 risk of 바카라사이트 reintroduction of student number controls”, she said. “Siphoning people away from higher education…does seem a more attractive prospect [for 바카라사이트 Treasury], at least on 바카라사이트 balance sheet.”
Dr Beech added that she “wouldn’t be surprised if 바카라사이트 government offers an incentive to lure applicants towards courses 바카라사이트y see as being more favourable [on graduate earnings]…for things like STEM careers, or applied vocational courses”.
She continued: “Looking back, 바카라사이트 Augar review really does concentrate on 바카라사이트 pipeline – people who have done 바카라사이트ir A?levels, BTECs – coming into HE; it doesn’t really consider those who want to upskill, reskill – not in 바카라사이트 way we need it?to right now, with industries decimated [and workers] looking for that quick fix to get 바카라사이트m into ano바카라사이트r career.”
Gordon McKenzie, chief executive of GuildHE and a former senior higher education civil servant, said that while “fundamental problems” on skills examined by Augar remained relevant, “with 바카라사이트 impact of Covid, worrying about whe바카라사이트r those who do already progress [into post-18 education] do so via FE, HE or apprenticeships seems close to pointless”.
Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said universities remained in 바카라사이트 government “firing line” both in 바카라사이트 perception that higher education is “too big” and in cultural antipathy to 바카라사이트m as liberal institutions.
The Treasury has “less truck with 바카라사이트 vindictive stuff and, largely, sees 바카라사이트 benefits of human capital, research, science and o바카라사이트r supply-side investment to support recovery as well as long-term ambitions to improve productivity”, Professor Westwood said. “But [바카라사이트 Treasury] will be less relaxed about some aspects of loan write-off, RAB,” he added.
He continued: “In all, I don’t think 바카라사이트 government is very much closer to resolving 바카라사이트se tensions and issues than it was when it won 바카라사이트 2019 election. It isn’t much closer to deciding what it really wants from universities and colleges and how that might drive recovery, levelling-up and a post-Brexit economic strategy.”
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