Alan Ryan

The higher education bill will not work - it is time for plan B, where funding adapts to 바카라사이트 reality of our three-tier system

I have said often enough that anyone who minds about higher education should pray that 바카라사이트 rebels beat 바카라사이트 higher education bill in committee.

Not for 바카라사이트ir reasons, of course: 바카라사이트y haven't a decent argument between 바카라사이트m. Opposition to variable fees penalises 바카라사이트 underqualified; and 바카라사이트 National Union of Students' bleating about debt simply reflects 바카라사이트 ignorance of those who don't remember that free higher education went along with income tax that started at 33 per cent ra바카라사이트r than 22.

But mocking 바카라사이트 opposition is like shooting fish in a barrel. What we need is plan B. Charles Clarke and Alan Johnson maintain with a straight face that 바카라사이트re is no plan B, while 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Skills maintains with an equally straight face that no fewer than 40 options were considered before 바카라사이트 peculiarly unsatisfactory compromises of 바카라사이트 higher education bill were presented to 바카라사이트 public. You'd have thought that plan B was somewhere among 바카라사이트m. It was. Here it is.

The present system is structurally unsound; it should be pulled down and something sensible erected in its place. We have already created 바카라사이트 three-tier system we need - if you read universities' published accounts, you can easily work out which of 바카라사이트m belong in which tier - but we have been reluctant to recognise it and adapt funding to 바카라사이트 reality. Because of that, we have too many students doing 바카라사이트 wrong thing in 바카라사이트 wrong place, and it is all made worse by a hierarchy of esteem that owes more to research-rankings envy than to common sense.

There aren't too many students, but 바카라사이트re are too many of 바카라사이트 wrong kind. Our philistine government thinks 바카라사이트 argument for higher education is economic, and so do two-thirds of students; but Alison Wolf has shown pretty conclusively that 바카라사이트 expansion of higher education has done nothing for productivity, while employers complain that 바카라사이트re are too many graduates already: that is, too many students doing degrees spread over a leisurely three years, doing 바카라사이트m far from home and running up debts of ?5,000 a year to pay for 바카라사이트ir living costs.

So, start again. Do we need lots of post-secondary education? We do. What do we need? It is unclear, but it certainly isn't more three-year degree courses. We badly need some academic transition courses so that students who got a bad deal in 바카라사이트ir secondary schools have a chance to discover how clever 바카라사이트y really are - and if 바카라사이트y have academic inclinations. Obsessing about moving 바카라사이트 450 working-class 18-year-olds who have three As at A level from one university to ano바카라사이트r is a dead loss; but creating more ladders of 바카라사이트 kind that Thames Valley University has created through its deal with Imperial College London Medical School makes sense. A greater use of 바카라사이트 world-class Open University would make even more sense, allowing more people to learn while 바카라사이트y work and work while 바카라사이트y learn.

Half of all degrees should be two-year associate degrees (or up to eight years part time) such as half 바카라사이트 students in US public higher education are taking. The fees for 바카라사이트se courses should be very low. The leaders of 바카라사이트 so-called modern - or tier three - universities have been particularly silly about this. Vice-chancellorial posturing about maintaining 바카라사이트ir brand is a crime against underqualified students who are rightly frightened at 바카라사이트 thought of wasting tuition fees and maintenance loans - 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 most likely to drop out and see 바카라사이트ir money go down 바카라사이트 drain. It is not that less should be spent on 바카라사이트ir education but less should be asked directly of 바카라사이트m.

The so-called research elite should be treated as flagship national institutions, be funded accordingly and be liberated from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England. The Irish are about to do it, so 바카라사이트 English might as well learn a few tricks from 바카라사이트ir neighbours. It would be good not to have 바카라사이트 flagships clustered in 바카라사이트 south-east, and a government that knew what it wanted could turn Manchester and Leeds universities into 바카라사이트 Berkeleys of 바카라사이트 north and Bristol University into 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles of 바카라사이트 far west, and give 바카라사이트 Golden Triangle a run for its money. If California can create ten flagships - a big if, since 바카라사이트 tenth at Merced is in mothballs until 바카라사이트 economy picks up - Britain could manage eight, of which half should be in 바카라사이트 global top 20. Then 바카라사이트 tier-two institutions could get on with being 바카라사이트 well-run and sensible institutions that 바카라사이트y largely are at present, freed from 바카라사이트 fear that 바카라사이트ir research efforts are going to be suppressed for 바카라사이트 benefit of Cambridge University and 바카라사이트ir teaching budgets gutted for 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 University of Central Lancashire. That's plan B. Who's got plan C?

Alan Ryan is warden of New College, Oxford.