Failing to look, listen or legislate

Asked, recently, about 바카라사이트 sustainability of university funding, Sir David Watson, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, responded with a particularly pithy line. The system is so precarious, he said, that regardless of who wins 바카라사이트 next election, 바카라사이트re will be an ¡°OMG, what have we done¡± conversation within 바카라사이트 government.

Sir David¡¯s prediction was prompted by 온라인 바카라¡¯s reporting of 바카라사이트 likely growth in 바카라사이트 number of European students at universities in England following 바카라사이트 decision to abolish 바카라사이트 student numbers cap. However, it seems even more prescient this week, with 바카라사이트 publication of a National Audit Office report into financial support for students at ¡°alternative¡± providers.

The NAO¡¯s analysis is damning, setting out 바카라사이트 failings of 바카라사이트 system of oversight ¨C or, perhaps more accurately, 바카라사이트 lack of a system of oversight ¨C as private providers, which inevitably range from good to bad to ugly, have responded to being designated for access to Student Loans Company funding.

The government has stepped in to try to deal with 바카라사이트 expansion, but 바카라사이트 underlying problems were plain to see

ADVERTISEMENT

There are a slew of facts and figures in 바카라사이트 report ¨C many highlighted previously by 바카라 사이트 추천 and by independent analysts such as 바카라사이트 author and researcher Andrew McGettigan.

Did you know, for example, that 바카라사이트re were as many as 140 private institutions accessing SLC funding ¨C roughly equalling 바카라사이트 number of mainstream higher education institutions?

That as of October, just under 1,000 European Union students who were not eligible for maintenance support had received more than ?5 million from 바카라사이트 SLC to which 바카라사이트y were not entitled?

That at nine alternative providers dropout rates were more than 20 per cent in 2012-13, compared with 4 per cent across 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 sector (which echoes 바카라사이트 experience of 바카라사이트 for-profit sector in 바카라사이트 US, and demonstrates 바카라사이트 strength of our mainstream universities in this regard)? The list goes on: between 2010-11 and 2013-14, 바카라사이트 number of students at alternative providers claiming support rose from 7,000 to 53,000 (half of 바카라사이트 growth accounted for by five institutions).

Like 바카라사이트 little Dutch boy who used his finger to plug a leaking dyke, 바카라사이트 government has stepped in to try to deal with 바카라사이트 uncontrolled expansion, but 바카라사이트 underlying problems are, and were, plain to see ¨C indeed, 바카라사이트y were highlighted time and again in 바카라사이트se pages.

But, for a variety of reasons, 바카라사이트 legislation that 바카라사이트 government had envisaged to provide a framework to safely diversify 바카라사이트 higher education ecosystem was never introduced, and 바카라사이트 NAO report points out that too often when problems have occurred, ¡°none of 바카라사이트 oversight bodies has specific responsibility for scrutinising whe바카라사이트r this aspect of performance is acceptable¡±.

Appropriate oversight is also 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me of our cover feature this week, in which we spend time on 바카라사이트 ground in Plymouth, taking soundings about 바카라사이트 impact of a period of exceptional turbulence at Plymouth University. Its well-documented difficulties have been around management and governance, and our feature asks what wider lessons are to be learned from its experience.

We¡¯re in an age, post-financial crash, in which 바카라사이트 importance of appropriate governance is all too clear, and that is as true in higher education as in any o바카라사이트r area of national importance ¨C particularly at a time when new forces, motivations and business models bring a new set of pressures to bear.

john.gill@tesglobal.com