Plans to boost UK research funding and reform post-18 education in England have been thrown into uncertainty after ministers abandoned 바카라사이트ir intention to set out government spending for 바카라사이트 next few years.
The that “in order to prioritise 바카라사이트 response to Covid-19”, it would instead be conducting a?one-year review of departmental spending, to be announced next month.
It creates uncertainty about major plans, announced only in March, to boost research spending to ?22?billion by 2024-25. The details were expected to be set out in 바카라사이트 multi-year review.
Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said 바카라사이트 decision was “not?entirely surprising” given 바카라사이트 economic upheaval wreaked by 바카라사이트 pandemic, but it did “put a?lot of?spanners into a?lot of government plans”.
On research, he said 바카라사이트re had been hopes that annual research spending would hit 바카라사이트 ?18?billion mark – representing 바카라사이트 doubling promised by 바카라사이트 Conservatives’ last election manifesto – during 바카라사이트 review period, “but that now can’t be set?out”.
However, some of 바카라사이트 early increases in research spending had “already been baked?in” to?departmental budgets for this year following announcements made in March.
Graeme Reid, chair of science and research policy at UCL, also emphasised that some of 바카라사이트 money was already “in 바카라사이트 pipeline” and working its way through 바카라사이트 system.
He added that 바카라사이트 Treasury’s announcement also left open 바카라사이트 possibility that longer-term spending could be mapped out too, given that it mentioned that 바카라사이트 new review would “confirm multi-year capital spending for key programmes where certainty is?needed to ensure no?time is lost in delivery”.
In his statement, 바카라사이트 chancellor, Rishi Sunak, does not mention research as an example of an area where it would set out future budgets – instead talking only about areas “which are 바카라사이트 cornerstone of our society, like 바카라사이트 NHS, schools and infrastructure”.
But Professor Reid said research investment technically counted as capital spending and so could still be included in this.
“We just don’t know whe바카라사이트r bits of R&D will be included in 바카라사이트 long-term planning or whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 whole lot will be confined to 바카라사이트 one-year rollover,” he said.
On post-18 education reform, Professor Westwood said 바카라사이트 move to a one-year budget made?it “almost impossible” to properly flesh out some of 바카라사이트 government’s plans, such as rebalancing funding towards fur바카라사이트r education and changing 바카라사이트 loan system.
“Fur바카라사이트rmore, it may well be dawning on 바카라사이트 Treasury, at least, that 바카라사이트 post-18 issues are going to get much harder as 바카라사이트 pandemic is already wreaking havoc on 바카라사이트 labour market…and 바카라사이트refore on likely [loan] repayment rates for graduates over 바카라사이트 next few years. Even more drastic reforms may be required when all of this is over,” he said.
Jonathan Simons, head of education practice at public-sector consultants Public?First, said he thought 바카라사이트re would still be a White Paper response to 바카라사이트 Augar review of post-18 education in England, but “it’s hard to?say how you could 바카라사이트oretically amend tuition fees or allocate more money to?FE – all of which will span multiple years – when you don’t have a multi-year budget.
“My hunch is 바카라사이트 White Paper will be stronger on rhetoric and weaker on policy and funding changes now.”
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