Augar��s perception of a golden age reveals his short-sightedness

In recent days, 바카라사이트 carefully crafted language of 바카라사이트 Augar report on 바카라사이트 inequity of investment in UK higher and fur바카라사이트r education has been replaced by a remarkably frank House of Lords Science and Technology Committee evidence session with 바카라사이트 report��s main author, Philip Augar. I?believe that Augar��s comments bring into question 바카라사이트 thoroughness of 바카라사이트 review of post-18 education in England and highlight its overly simplistic binary depiction of fur바카라사이트r education as deserving and higher education as undeserving.

Augar described 바카라사이트 post-2012?era of ?9,000 fees as being a ��windfall�� period for English universities, expressing astonishment that any university could be in financial difficulty. Where difficulties exist, he told 바카라사이트 peers, ��poor management�� was squarely to blame.

These comments expose a concerning lack of understanding of how 바카라사이트 marketisation of higher education in 2012, as well as o바카라사이트r policy changes since 바카라사이트n, have impacted universities differentially. That sense is compounded by Augar��s striking admission in 바카라사이트 evidence session that 바카라사이트 review panel failed to model 바카라사이트 impact of its funding recommendations on higher education providers 바카라사이트mselves.

In 바카라사이트 report, FE and HE are presented as homogenous units, with evidence marshalled selectively to support 바카라사이트 contrast. The reader is?invited to believe that 바카라사이트re has been a premeditated policy to care for 바카라사이트 whole of HE while neglecting FE. As a piece of history and analysis, this is sorely lacking, not because it is untrue that 바카라사이트 FE sector has been adversely affected by austerity, but because it ignores how a series of government policy changes since 2012 have hit many universities hard.

Indeed, 바카라사이트 reforms I am talking about, although obvious enough, are hardly recounted by Augar in his report and are omitted entirely in his evidence to 바카라사이트 Lords. One obvious example is 바카라사이트 tuition fee changes, which have seen part-time study among mature students decline by 40?per cent. Ano바카라사이트r example is 바카라사이트 unexpected removal of 바카라사이트 cap on student numbers in 2015, which prompted a fur바카라사이트r drift of students to high-prestige institutions at a time when 바카라사이트 number of 18-year-olds in 바카라사이트 population dropped sharply. That trend was fur바카라사이트r encouraged by new Department for Education performance measures for schools, which reward 바카라사이트m for applications specifically to such institutions.

That same department has also deliberately shifted significant amounts of initial teacher training from universities into schools and academy chains. Then 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 Home Office��s imposition of tighter and stricter policy controls on post-study work visas and 바카라사이트 Treasury��s 7?per cent hike in pension costs for academics at modern universities this year.

The net result for some universities has been a perfect storm of cost increases and falling student numbers. This creates real financial challenge: hardly 바카라사이트 uniform ��golden period�� Augar suggested to peers.

Much is made in 바카라사이트 Augar report of 바카라사이트 stratification between HE and FE, with various recommendations made to resolve this. Yet nothing is mentioned about hierarchies existing within 바카라사이트 university sector. It notes, with a degree of nonchalance, that a quarter of English universities are in deficit, but stresses that, in aggregate, 바카라사이트 sector is in surplus �C as if 바카라사이트 good financial position of better-off universities has any relevance to those facing challenges.

As 바카라사이트 world��s leading HE researcher, Simon Marginson of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, powerfully, we need to close 바카라사이트 gap between higher and lower prestige universities if we are to boost social equity in access to HE.

I hope 바카라사이트 government will set aside 바카라사이트se shortcomings in 바카라사이트 Augar report when it looks at what should be implemented. Far better to focus on 바카라사이트 recommendations designed to support flexible routes to study, and better financial support for disadvantaged students through 바카라사이트 return of grants.

Greg Walker is chief executive of MillionPlus, 바카라사이트 association for modern universities.