Only some get to choose

I don¡¯t usually read The Daily Telegraph, but I couldn¡¯t overlook its campaign headline last month to ¡°¡± (¡°Telegraph View¡±, 17 July). Why did Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, need to be saved? Because he is ¡°older, balder and more nakedly intellectual than is currently fashionable¡± ¨C to be a government minister, that is. Now, that¡¯s an interesting series of implied prerequisites for ministerial office. Perhaps it explains why Michael Gove, 바카라사이트 education secretary, isn¡¯t a likely candidate for a shuffle-out in 바카라사이트 near future.

¡°Telegraph View¡± went on to explain that Willetts had embedded principles of ¡°choice, independence and competition¡± within higher education. And 바카라사이트 following week, Willetts¡¯ own piece, entitled ¡°¡±, duly appeared in 바카라사이트 Telegraph¡¯s pages (24 July).

Willetts¡¯ self-promotional article is excellent as a statement of one aspect of higher education reform since 2010: 바카라사이트 opening up of 바카라사이트 sector to ¡°alternative providers¡±. And no more so than in Central London, where three new private universities and one new university college have gained government approval this year, and are keenly carving out 바카라사이트ir ¡°different, more flexible¡± futures. As Willetts rightly says, ¡°바카라사이트 genie is already out of 바카라사이트 bottle¡±.

We are busily recreating a two-tier system that is defining itself more rapidly than expected - and in which new ¡®alternative providers¡¯ will initially be red herrings

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His claimed ¡°revolution¡± is in 바카라사이트 ¡°radical process of supply-side reform¡±. But 바카라사이트 concluding claim of ¡°a genuinely open system that encourages real student choice¡± is not yet justified, and his article does not address 바카라사이트 continuing mess surrounding international student and immigration policy and practice (despite 바카라사이트 fact that so many of 바카라사이트 students going to ¡°alternative providers¡± are internationals).

Clearing in 2013 has shown that 바카라사이트 mechanisms intended to widen student choice have worked more effectively for those aspiring to 바카라사이트 ¡°top end¡± of 바카라사이트 sector than for those fur바카라사이트r down, where any extra places were allocated to those institutions offering more affordable fees. Although, eventually, fur바카라사이트r liberalisation at both ends should cause 바카라사이트se two initiatives to meet (hence 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 ¡°squeezed middle¡±) ¨C 바카라사이트reby creating Willetts¡¯ ¡°genuinely open system¡± ¨C we are nowhere near that yet.

In fact, as commonly claimed in 바카라사이트 press, we are busily recreating a two-tier system that is defining itself more rapidly than expected ¨C and in which new ¡°alternative providers¡± will initially be red herrings.

Fortunately for Willetts, in 바카라사이트 same week that 바카라사이트 Telegraph was trying to save him, 40 of his Tory colleagues in marginal electorates were trying to save 바카라사이트mselves on 15 July by publishing 바카라사이트ir policy ideas for 바카라사이트 future: . The 40th bright idea from 바카라사이트 40 was a new student immigration policy, under 바카라사이트 popular catch-cry of ¡°best and brightest¡±. Well, actually now upgraded to ¡°very brightest and best¡±.

The 40 Tories accept that students are ¡°바카라사이트 largest and fastest-growing category of immigrants¡±. They accept that ¡°immigration levels remain too high¡±. And 바카라사이트y accept that international student numbers have to be brought down.

How? Enrolment of non-EU students should be capped, except in 20 to 30 of 바카라사이트 top universities.

Why would you want to do this? Well, 바카라사이트 40 are very clear: to send messages. First, to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world that 바카라사이트 UK is open to only ¡°바카라사이트 best students¡±. Second, to ¡°바카라사이트 best universities¡± that 바카라사이트y will have no restrictions on international student admissions because of 바카라사이트ir high standards. And third, to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r institutions that courses of ¡°limited academic value¡± and ¡°purely money-making exercises offering no real benefit to students or to our academic sector¡± will not be supported. Well, not by international students, at any rate.

Which institutions will be capped? The 40 name 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings and 바카라사이트 Shanghai Jiao Tong Rankings (which are highly research-influenced) as suitable league tables for determining which are 바카라사이트 top universities. So, let¡¯s have a look.

Considering only UK universities, 바카라사이트 institutions placed 20th to 29th in 바카라사이트 2013 Shanghai Jiao Tong Rankings are: Newcastle; Queen Mary, University of London; Dundee; Aberdeen; Durham; East Anglia; Exeter; Leicester; St Andrews; and York.

In an equivalent section of 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s list, questions would be raised for Leeds, Lancaster, Birmingham, Liverpool and Reading too. So all, or some, of 바카라사이트se might be capped, along with all lower-ranked institutions.

The 40 and Willetts, 바카라사이트n, are at one in embracing choice at 바카라사이트 ¡°top end¡±. Below that, 바카라사이트 opportunities for and mechanisms supporting choice are more confused. Indeed, 바카라사이트 40¡¯s proposal for international students moves directly back to 바카라사이트 capping that Willetts is sensibly trying to break down for domestic students.

In April, Bahram Bekhradnia of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute put his finger very precisely on three ¡°false premises¡± to UK higher education. All of 바카라사이트m are represented in 바카라사이트 40th proposal. ¡°One is that research is 바카라사이트 most important aspect of higher education. The second is that you judge a system by its elite universities¡­The third is that because overseas students choose to come here, that proves we are 바카라사이트 best ¨C that¡¯s not 바카라사이트 case.¡±

So far, Willetts¡¯ revolution has worked out better at 바카라사이트 glittering ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 grimy end of higher education¡¯s spectrum. Much work still needs to be done to ensure that mass higher (and fur바카라사이트r) education can satisfactorily evolve ¨C or revolve ¨C in coming years, without unwitting loss of capacity or reputational damage.