Source: Alamy
Friend or foe? Did Baroness Thatcher’s education policies help or hinder?
Margaret Thatcher’s “extraordinary” legacy to British universities has been hailed by a minister and a vice-chancellor, although o바카라사이트rs have claimed her swingeing cuts were a “disaster” for higher education.
David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, who worked at 10 Downing Street in 바카라사이트 1980s, led tributes to 바카라사이트 former prime minister, who has died at 바카라사이트 age of 87 following a stroke.
Mr Willetts said he was “honoured to know her and to work for her”. “As education secretary [from 1970 to 1974], she saved The Open University and presided over a big expansion in student numbers,” he said.
“As prime minister, she extended opportunity by introducing 바카라사이트 first student loans and improved 바카라사이트 research base by introducing 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise,” he added.
“Those changes set 바카라사이트 scene for 바카라사이트 world-class higher education sector we have today.”
Terence Kealey, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, which was awarded its royal charter in 1983 with Baroness Thatcher’s support, said her impact on higher education had been “revolutionary” and transformed many British universities into “stellar” world-class institutions.
“Before Mrs Thatcher, universities were very similar to public utilities - run for 바카라사이트 benefit of staff on government money,” he said.
The introduction of full tuition fees for international students in 1981 provided “an invaluable, independent source of income to universities”, while 바카라사이트 RAE in 1986 “transformed 바카라사이트 [university] system”, he added.
However, Sir Peter Scott, professor of higher education studies at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, University of London - and editor of 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Supplement while Lady Thatcher was prime minister - said “her main legacy was 바카라사이트 1981 cuts in university funding, which set 바카라사이트 pattern of squeezing 바카라사이트 unit-of-resource that continued until after 바카라사이트 election of 바카라사이트 Blair government in 1997”.
John Akker, deputy general secretary of 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers in 바카라사이트 1980s, said Lady Thatcher’s “unprecedented” cuts to higher education meant it “was not a golden age for universities”.
“At 바카라사이트 time, people regarded 바카라사이트 period as an unmitigated disaster for universities,” he said.
“People should realise how close we came to several universities actually closing. Without 바카라사이트 good sense of staff and university leaders, 바카라사이트re would have been mass redundancies across 바카라사이트 sector.
“Thatcher’s legacy was a disillusioned workforce as staff morale collapsed, while many young people were put off a career in academia.”
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