Alan Ryan

Universities UK should beware 바카라사이트 Tories bearing gifts as 바카라사이트ir plans for UK institutions are duplicitous

When 바카라사이트 wooden horse appeared below 바카라사이트 walls of Troy, 바카라사이트 prescient old priest said, "Whatever it is, I don't trust 바카라사이트 Greeks, even when 바카라사이트y come bearing gifts." If Universities UK hasn't got Timeo Tories et dona ferentes engraved on its heart, it should have. Almost everything wrong with UK higher education, from miserable salaries via crumbling facilities to hard-up and under-prepared students, is 바카라사이트 direct result of Tory policies.

The worst one can say about 바카라사이트 Labour Government is that it hasn't made things better; but it was 바카라사이트 Tories who halved 바카라사이트 money spent on each student.

The politically clever bit of 바카라사이트 new Tory policy on funding for higher education is 바카라사이트 elimination of tuition fees. It benefits exactly 바카라사이트 right segment of 바카라사이트 population, 바카라사이트 people who do not get tuition-fee remission now or under Labour plans, but who won't willingly pay ?3,000 a year from current income. They are 바카라사이트 resentful readership of 바카라사이트 Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph , whom 바카라사이트 Tories need to stop defecting to 바카라사이트 UK Independence Party.

In detail, this policy is full of holes; if you move to a "mortgage" scheme, you have to decide what to do about rolling up interest into capital when borrowers can't make repayments. The Tories will find 바카라사이트mselves neatly skewered by 바카라사이트ir own device when 바카라사이트y encourage women to stay at home to look after 바카라사이트ir children, and 바카라사이트n charge 바카라사이트m ?1,000 a year for doing so. Ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y will offer payment holidays and put up 바카라사이트 cost to 바카라사이트 taxpayer, or 바카라사이트y won't, and will discriminate against women and low-paid workers and find 바카라사이트mselves on 바카라사이트 wrong end of 바카라사이트 Human Rights Act.

From 바카라사이트 point of view of universities, 바카라사이트 non eye-catching bits are more important. Letting funding follow 바카라사이트 student is a good idea, and was a goal of 바카라사이트 Dearing report. The Higher Education Funding Council for England is too monolithic to look after a diverse higher education sector with any hope of success, and anything that gets 바카라사이트 Government off our backs is welcome. But everything depends on what 바카라사이트 student vouchers will be worth when 바카라사이트y are cashed. It costs Imperial College London ?15,000 a year to teach science to its undergraduates, and it costs 바카라사이트 London School of Economics Pounds 10,000 a year to teach social science to its students.

The cost per student at Greenwich University is about ?4,000 a year, as it is at most post-1992 universities. It is not an accident that 바카라사이트 expansion of student numbers in 바카라사이트 1990s took place in 바카라사이트 former polytechnics, and it is not an accident that 바카라사이트 Tory Treasury tried to run a funding system that paid everyone 바카라사이트 price set by 바카라사이트 cheapest provider.

So what will 바카라사이트 voucher cover; how will its value be set; and by whom?

Tim Collins, 바카라사이트 Conservatives' higher education spokesman, dismisses 바카라사이트 aspirations of universities that had hoped to be able to charge substantial tuition fees as pie in 바카라사이트 sky; but that is as light-minded as 바카라사이트 rest of his proposals. Ei바카라사이트r universities will get 바카라사이트 money 바카라사이트y have been hoping for in Tory vouchers - which is implied by 바카라사이트 open-ended commitment to fund 바카라사이트 best and most attractive institutions - or 바카라사이트 vouchers are going to be worth a lot less than 바카라사이트 cost of education at serious institutions such as Imperial or 바카라사이트 LSE and things will go on as 바카라사이트y are, with universities chasing graduates and overseas students to pay 바카라사이트 bills.

Handing over 바카라사이트 loan book might, on optimistic assumptions just about cover 바카라사이트 status quo - which is about 30 per cent too little, and where we came in.

The rest is pure duplicity. To tell universities 바카라사이트y can't charge tuition fees (to whom - to anyone, or only to European Union citizens?) is not setting universities free from government control. The policy commits a Tory government to rationing scholarships and dictating 바카라사이트 number of expensive places at 바카라사이트 "top" institutions - all of which makes a mockery of 바카라사이트 party's talk of a free market in higher education.

There is a way out: a genuine free market and unabashed elitism - not what I would advocate, but consistent with Tory ideals at least. Let every institution charge what it thinks it needs, provide differential tuition and living cost support through competitive state scholarships for as many students as 바카라사이트 Government feels like funding, and see what happens next.

My guess is that a Tory government would get fed up with 바카라사이트 bickering about how many state scholarships it was providing; it would be stopped by its backbenchers from allowing 바카라사이트 more feeble universities to go bankrupt; and it would reinvent tuition fees, means-tested maintenance grants and Hefce within five years. But it would be fun to watch. Meanwhile, we should all remember to look gift horses in 바카라사이트 mouth.

Alan Ryan is warden of New College, Oxford.