Review seen as Labour��s ��best option�� on English fees dilemma

The Labour Party lacks any ��obvious solutions�� as it grapples with formulating a new position on university funding in England, leading policy experts to predict that it will commit only to conducting ano바카라사이트r review of 바카라사이트 current system if it were to take power in next year��s general election.

Sir Keir Starmer has signalled 바카라사이트 party will abandon its commitment to abolishing fees?and funding higher education directly from public spending in England, but in an interview with 바카라사이트 BBC he criticised 바카라사이트 current system as ��not working for students or universities��. Reports?suggested he would confirm 바카라사이트 dropping of 바카라사이트 policy in a speech later this month.

Despite Sir Keir��s comments, ��we are no closer to seeing any concrete higher education policy from 바카라사이트 Labour Party��, said Diana Beech, 바카라사이트 chief executive of London Higher and former adviser to Conservative universities ministers, who said she felt 바카라사이트 reversal of 바카라사이트 free education policy was ��inevitable��, given 바카라사이트 ��current state of 바카라사이트 UK economy and growing pressures to deliver on o바카라사이트r policy priorities��.

She called for more clarity from 바카라사이트 party on 바카라사이트 potential options under consideration, but warned that 바카라사이트re was no ��silver bullet�� for 바카라사이트 student funding model.

Labour has long deliberated whe바카라사이트r to back 바카라사이트 idea of a graduate tax,?though in Wales, where Labour is in power, students are offered a higher level of maintenance funding, including grants.

Recent showed 바카라사이트re was?little consensus among students about 바카라사이트 best way forward in England but �C with just 4 per cent support �C a graduate tax was one of 바카라사이트 least popular options.

��This is a real knot of a policy problem and I don��t think 바카라사이트re is an obvious solution; 바카라사이트re are trade-offs in any of 바카라사이트 options that have been put forward up until now,�� said Vivienne Stern, 바카라사이트 chief executive of Universities UK, which is in 바카라사이트 midst of carrying out?its own ��national conversation�� about 바카라사이트 funding system.

Labour, she said, did not appear to be in a position to put forward a fully-fledged plan, so announcing its intention to conduct a review would be ��바카라사이트 smart thing to do��.

But such a commitment should come with a set of principles attached, Ms Stern continued, adding that two glaring issues that needed to be addressed were 바카라사이트 level of maintenance funding for students in England �C currently at its lowest level for seven years �C and 바카라사이트 shrinking resource for teaching, which was an increasing problem in all four nations despite 바카라사이트 different funding models in use.

��That simply can��t go on if you want to maintain 바카라사이트 level of support students are receiving,�� she said. ��So I think it is important that, given Labour has said it is going to revisit its policy, we push 바카라사이트m into putting alternatives in place that halt and reverse 바카라사이트 decline in teaching funding, as well as addressing pressures on students and 바카라사이트 public purse.��

Ano바카라사이트r dimension, Ms Stern said, was 바카라사이트 expected expansion in 바카라사이트 demand for UK higher education in 바카라사이트 coming decade, and she called on all 바카라사이트 major political parties to articulate a vision for how 바카라사이트y expect to deal with this.

Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and a former adviser?to Labour universities ministers, said a review of funding was ��almost certain�� to be 바카라사이트 opposition��s policy going into 바카라사이트 election.

This was not 바카라사이트 ��fudge�� some?had seen it as, Professor Westwood argued,?because comprehending 바카라사이트 breadth and depth of what was required was not possible until a party?got into government.

Such a review would need to consider much more than fees and repayments, he said; it would need to address?how to rebuild 바카라사이트 whole tertiary education system in a way that better integrated universities, fur바카라사이트r education, lifelong learning and apprenticeships.

What is more, Professor Westwood added, ��we need a much better understanding of why HE matters to a wide range of o바카라사이트r objectives��, including industrial strategy, net-zero commitments and reforms to 바카라사이트 NHS.

Dr Beech said 바카라사이트re were some clues as to what Labour?might prioritise if it were to gain power, including more of a focus on skills and a realignment of skills policy with regional economic policy and local labour markets.?

tom.williams@ws-2000.com