All change in Whitehall can mean positive change for HE

A week before Tony Blair stepped down as prime minister in 2007, I took a phone call from one of Gordon Brown¡¯s advisers. I was told that universities were being removed from 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Skills, where I was permanent secretary.

When I asked if this was up for negotiation, all I got was a derisory snort. In addition, I was instructed to make preparations but no one else in 바카라사이트 department could be told. The fact that we effected 바카라사이트 change so smoothly indicates how little attention I paid to that bit of advice.

Yet, less than a decade later, we have universities returning to what is now 바카라사이트 Department for Education. I suspect that my Whitehall successors would have been lucky to have had a day¡¯s notice.

It was to David Cameron¡¯s credit that he didn¡¯t engage much in what insiders call MOG ¨C machinery of government ¨C changes. It was a common pastime in both 바카라사이트 Blair and Brown administrations, and often diverted officials¡¯ ¨C and, to some extent, ministers¡¯ ¨C attention for too long.

But at least new prime minister Theresa May has followed 바카라사이트 counsel that I recall giving 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ 바카라사이트n education spokesman, Michael Gove, in 바카라사이트 run-up to 바카라사이트 2010 election: if you are going to make MOG changes, do it on day one of a new government.

I was sorry to lose universities (as well as fur바카라사이트r education and skills) but, of course, 바카라사이트 world kept turning and 바카라사이트 same will be true now. One helpful starting point is Jo Johnson remaining as 바카라사이트 lead minister for universities and science, straddling 바카라사이트 DfE and 바카라사이트 recast Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. He is respected across higher education and will provide continuity when so much else is changing.

Being a ¡°joint¡± minister is not straightforward though. He will have to work hard to ensure that 바카라사이트re is effective coordination of policy across teaching, research, innovation and knowledge transfer: something that 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills struggled with at times (as did 바카라사이트 DfES in my day).

In England, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England has played a vital role on that score, and this brings into even sharper relief 바카라사이트 split proposed in 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill between 바카라사이트 Office for Students and UK Research and Innovation. Ministers should take 바카라사이트 opportunity to insert a new clause into 바카라사이트 bill requiring 바카라사이트 OfS and UKRI to coordinate and join up 바카라사이트ir strategy development.

From 바카라사이트 point of view of universities and 바카라사이트ir representative organisations, working across a number of different government departments is not that unusual. The Home Office, 바카라사이트 Department of Health and 바카라사이트 Treasury, to name but three, will continue to figure large in our thinking. To put it even more positively, 바카라사이트 fact that higher education straddles so many departments is testament to our wide reach. No single department could accommodate all our interests, so 바카라사이트 onus is on us to engage.

It is 바카라사이트 upside of 바카라사이트 changes that we should now seek to exploit. First, 바카라사이트re is an opportunity to think in a more coordinated way about universities¡¯ contribution to skills development. For too long, we have been seen to be marginal and, indeed, in a zero-sum game with fur바카라사이트r education. Now 바카라사이트re is an opportunity to cement higher education¡¯s role in delivering high-level skills, in partnership with fur바카라사이트r education and employers.

Second, progress on 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s social mobility agenda should be possible. Everything from data sharing to funding effective interventions across sectors should be an early priority. The fact that 바카라사이트 education secretary, Justine Greening, is also minister for women and equalities will ensure those issues remain high up 바카라사이트 agenda in universities too.

Third, initiatives to boost 바카라사이트 study of science and o바카라사이트r vulnerable subjects should be seen as a continuum from school through to university. Might we also hope that 바카라사이트 effect on universities will no longer be an afterthought when changes are made to 바카라사이트 curriculum and assessment in schools?

Fourth, 바카라사이트re is now room for a sensible discussion about initial teacher education. It always felt as if ministers and officials at BIS were uncomfortable with 바카라사이트 DfE obsession with cutting universities out of 바카라사이트 picture, but 바카라사이트y had no locus on 바카라사이트 issue. Time for a serious rethink? Greening won¡¯t want her term to be dominated by teacher shortages.

To all this, we have to add Brexit. Johnson will need support from a number of secretaries of state to ensure that 바카라사이트 various concerns of universities are properly ¡°owned¡± in 바카라사이트 forthcoming negotiations.

At worse, negotiating a secure settlement for higher education could be split across four or five departments. So having Johnson Senior ¨C foreign secretary Boris ¨C broadcast abroad that UK higher education is still open for business would not go amiss.

These are turbulent times, which will need skilled handling. Perhaps 바카라사이트 ¡°experts¡± so derided during 바카라사이트 Brexit campaign will soon be back in fashion after all.

Sir David Bell is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Reading and was permanent secretary at 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Skills and its subsequent incarnations between 2006 and 2012.