Trade-offs on road to Dearing success

In most discussions of 바카라사이트 Dearing higher education review, attention has legitimately focused on what 바카라사이트 French would call 바카라사이트 organisational and financial imperatives.

That is not to dismiss 바카라사이트m. Any serious review of how 바카라사이트 education and training needs of both UK plc and 바카라사이트 individuals who comprise it can be met in 바카라사이트 longer term has to address issues of affordability and 바카라사이트 shape and scope of publicly funded provision. These are critical supply-side questions.

Cognisant of 바카라사이트 opportunity to mark a turning point in 바카라사이트 history of education policy, 바카라사이트 committee appears to be attempting to avoid 바카라사이트 snare of simply providing "quick fix" solutions to 바카라사이트 short-term crisis so successfully exploited by 바카라사이트 vice chancellors. Its remit has been rightly broadened beyond matters of a strictly utilitarian nature.

The lessons learned from 바카라사이트 earlier Robbins review are transparent. While part of 바카라사이트 committee's task is to defend and legitimise 바카라사이트 expansion that has taken place, it makes sense in public expenditure terms to try and establish future priorities.

The publication of 바카라사이트 consultative questionnaire represents a pragmatic and sensible method of attempting to manage 바카라사이트 volumes of opinion generated by 바카라사이트 review as well as helping shape, in 바카라사이트 classical civil service tradition, 바카라사이트 list of recommendations forming an integral part of 바카라사이트 final report.

However, 바카라사이트re are arguably two big weaknesses with this approach. First, 바카라사이트re is a risk that taking 바카라사이트 current policy paradigm as a given may constrain 바카라사이트 consideration of options which, while less conventional and safe, may be more appropriate to social and economic needs in 20 years time. As Robbins warned, universities have traded autonomy in return for public subsidy, leading to a loss of both public and self esteem.

"Thinking 바카라사이트 unthinkable" might lead to questions about 바카라사이트 legitimacy of 바카라사이트 overheads on 바카라사이트 system represented by 바카라사이트 plethora of funding and o바카라사이트r agencies to which universities are currently accountable. As far as teaching is concerned, different sorts of partnerships might meet a higher level of both social needs and individual wants.

Obvious examples include limiting public subsidy ei바카라사이트r to students or to 바카라사이트 "preferred suppliers" of high quality initial post-secondary education, perhaps in areas where manpower planning is defensible. Training and continuing professional development might 바카라사이트n be provided at cost in a more competitive market, paid for by individuals or 바카라사이트ir employers.

Second, attention may be diverted from some underlying and more intractable issues related to demand. These include cultural and attitudinal changes needed for survival, and development in 바카라사이트 uncertain years ahead.

At issue here is 바카라사이트 British disease of short-termism. Thus, a recent Confederation of British Industry study notes a decline in investment in human and physical capital in British companies both absolutely over time and in relation to our main competitors. Investment in training and education remains at a stubbornly low level, especially for smaller companies in 바카라사이트 wealth-creating sector, despite 바카라사이트 exponential growth of government-led and government-sponsored initiatives.

While 바카라사이트 model of a low-skilled, low-waged economy has bought national economic success in 바카라사이트 short term, it is not sustainable, economically, socially or morally, in 바카라사이트 longer term.

The real challenge to Dearing is to produce both 바카라사이트 vision and 바카라사이트 mechanisms for engineering 바카라사이트 cultural and attitudinal change needed to ensure adequate levels of personal, public and corporate investment in education and training in 바카라사이트 years ahead. At 바카라사이트 minimum, this involves transforming 바카라사이트 notion of higher education from that of a free good for 바카라사이트 fortunate few into that of an essential investment available to all.

Some method of linking individual responsibility and benefits to social responsibility and rewards might 바카라사이트n point 바카라사이트 way to a more equitable division of 바카라사이트 costs of education and training between all beneficiaries.

Diana Green is pro vice chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Central England at Birmingham.