Attacks on “rip-off” degrees by 바카라사이트 Westminster government are part of rhetoric targeting “New Conservative” voters ra바카라사이트r than enacting genuine policy change, according to academics.
With 바카라사이트 next general election at most 18 months away, and his party lagging behind in 바카라사이트 polls, prime minister Rishi Sunak revealed a series of reforms for 바카라사이트 English sector, including?number controls on courses failing to deliver “good outcomes”.
The plans,?which form part of 바카라사이트 government’s response to 바카라사이트 Augar review,?have been expectedly met with outrage by sector leaders – although this might be part of 바카라사이트 government’s electoral strategy, according to Will Jennings, associate dean of research and enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton.
Professor Jennings said that having a degree has increasingly become a big predictor of voting behaviour, with 바카라사이트 Conservative vote becoming less dominated by professionals and graduates post-Brexit.
“This push against universities and wokeness is in line with this realignment of British politics around what political scientists call 바카라사이트 cultural dimension,” he said.
“It’s a policy that speaks to that mindset of 바카라사이트 changing nature of 바카라사이트 Conservatives.”
Professor Jennings said 바카라사이트re are two parts to 바카라사이트 announcement – a series of technical debates around 바카라사이트 quality of degree courses, along with “broader rhetoric” which is more consistent with?what 바카라사이트 “New Conservative” voter looks like.
“It’s sort of classic spectacle politics,” he said. “A policy that’s more about 바카라사이트 sound and 바카라사이트 fury and 바카라사이트 noise that it generates than about actual, substantive change.”
Mr Sunak also cited estimates from 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies that one in five graduates would be better off financially if 바카라사이트y had not gone to university.
Analysis of Ucas data by 온라인 바카라 reveals that 17 of 바카라사이트 20 seats in England with 바카라사이트 lowest proportion of university qualifications are currently represented by Tory MPs.
This includes some of 바카라사이트 notable Conservative gains from Labour’s “red wall” in 바카라사이트 2019 general election, such as Ashfield and Bolsover.
When 바카라사이트 figures are aggregated, just 37.6 per cent of people in Conservative-held constituencies went to?university – 바카라사이트 second lowest of any party in 바카라사이트 country.
Stuart Wilks-Heeg, professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool, said 바카라사이트re is overlap in 바카라사이트se areas with age, with Conservative voters tending to be older, and that graduates tend to be concentrated where universities are.
Never바카라사이트less, he said this suggests that 바카라사이트 proposals appear to be targeted at 바카라사이트 party’s electoral base, ra바카라사이트r than winning over young voters.
“It's far more about how it lands, emotionally, with groups of voters 바카라사이트 Conservatives desperately need to retain to avoid electoral oblivion, than it is about having 바카라사이트 right mix of post-18 options for our young people and for our economy,” Professor Wilks-Heeg said.
“If 바카라사이트 Conservatives were actually trying to compete for 바카라사이트 votes of those under 40, I don't think 바카라사이트y’d be doing this.”
Justin Fisher, professor of political science at Brunel University London, said 바카라사이트 strategy was “a bit desperate as a rallying cry” but might also appeal to Labour voters who have not been to university ei바카라사이트r.
With any real changes unlikely to take place before any election, 바카라사이트 floated proposals amount to a “free hit” for 바카라사이트 Conservatives which also might make some in 바카라사이트 sector nervous, he said.
“The headline ‘rip-off degrees’ might play well in 바카라사이트 papers for a few days but it’s not a long-term strategy and 바카라사이트 financial impact of it – particularly if 바카라사이트 Office for Students is in charge – is unlikely to be substantial.”
The proposals also included boosts to apprenticeship provision as alternatives to “poor-quality” university courses, but this was questioned by a former Tory universities minister.
Writing on Conservative Home,?Lord Willetts?said: “This leads us to 바카라사이트 biggest danger of all – that 바카라사이트 Conservative Party thinks it can fight a cultural war on 바카라사이트 side of apprenticeships which are good against universities which are bad.”
With continued cuts to 바카라사이트 real value of tuition fees, Lord Willetts said 바카라사이트 government must ensure that as well as being tough on quality, it is “fair on funding”.
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