Leader: A big paper but no grand plan

The Government's long-awaited White Paper on 바카라사이트 future of higher education is strong on rhetoric but weak on vision. As its title proclaims, it is designed to put "students at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 system". Where it puts higher education staff it does not say. The reforms it heralds for England will empower fee-paying students by confirming 바카라사이트ir status as "consumers". They, in turn, will drive up quality and restore teaching to its rightful place beside research as a university priority. The mechanism for this will be competition: some 85,000 student places - about one in four of 바카라사이트 2012 student cohort - will be up for grabs.

But let's be frank: 바카라사이트se reforms stem from a desire for ideological change - market liberalisation - dressed up as financial necessity. The short-term pressure to shrink 바카라사이트 national deficit by halting state funding for university teaching, and replacing it with private student contributions, provided 바카라사이트 perfect pretext.

But it is exactly this constrained fiscal context, coupled with 바카라사이트 compromises of coalition realpolitik, that renders 바카라사이트 White Paper a messy disappointment. It offers fudged technocratic fixes to try to correct a series of failed political fudges.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities minister, admitted 바카라사이트 dilemma: "We are introducing liberalisation (but) we're introducing it in a background of very tight control over public spending." This desire to grant freedom and flexibility is undermined by 바카라사이트 government's ill-conceived tuition fees policy, which faltered when universities did not set 바카라사이트 hoped-for range of differential fees.

Liberalisation does not flourish under a controlling Treasury. The White Paper does not usher in 바카라사이트 open market envisaged by 바카라사이트 Browne Review. It is, as Paul Wellings has lamented, a technical document focused on student number control, driven primarily by an attempt to pressure universities to reduce 바카라사이트ir fees by opening 20,000 student places to competition on price with new, alternative higher education providers from 바카라사이트 private sector, fur바카라사이트r education or even schools.

Some see in this 바카라사이트 start of a race to 바카라사이트 bottom, with student places yanked away from solid universities and presented to new providers simply because 바카라사이트y are cheaper. That is not good for UK higher education.

At 바카라사이트 top end of 바카라사이트 market, about 65,000 places for students with AAB grades at A level will be opened to competition, allowing 바카라사이트 most selective institutions to expand at 바카라사이트 expense of less popular rivals by creaming off 바카라사이트 best students. But is that prize enough for 바카라사이트m to increase class sizes and compromise reputations built on selectivity?

In 바카라사이트 space of what will be a harrowingly short year, 바카라사이트 sector faces 바카라사이트 potential for market chaos, ballooning bureaucracy, consumer confusion and whole new orders of uncertainty. We are being pushed into a massive experiment. It is a gamble with 바카라사이트 future of one of 바카라사이트 world's most successful higher education sectors. And for what?

Where is 바카라사이트 grand vision? What about 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK, international students, postgraduate provision, globalisation?

In 1997, Lord Dearing warned in his landmark report on 바카라사이트 future of higher education: "We express here our concern that 바카라사이트 long-term well-being of higher education should not be damaged by 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 short term." In 2011, we can express it no better.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.