Leader: Don't be shy...tell it like it is

It is an extraordinary indictment. In a new documentary about 바카라사이트 English higher education reforms, Sir Peter Scott, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, University of London, recalls a conversation with a "very senior policy figure": "He said that 바카라사이트 problem with higher education is that ministers always know that 바카라사이트y can get at least one or two vice-chancellors to agree with almost anything 바카라사이트y suggest". For a community whose raison d'¨ºtre is to question, it does not get more damning than that.

The coalition's reforms were described last week at a lecture at University College London by Oxford historian Howard Hotson as "바카라사이트 most radical experiment ever conducted on a major university system in 바카라사이트 modern world". By replacing 바카라사이트 vast bulk of public funding for university teaching with tripled tuition fees and by ushering in market principles in a bid to drive up standards, 바카라사이트 government has enacted "바카라사이트 virtual privatisation of...an entire university system at 바카라사이트 stroke of a pen", he said.

Armed with reams of data, Professor Hotson has built a compelling case that UK higher education and research is, pound for pound, 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world. So where is 바카라사이트 evidence supporting 바카라사이트 need for profound change?

Wherever one stands on 바카라사이트 reforms, 바카라사이트 lack of research underpinning 바카라사이트m, and 바카라사이트 lack of rigorous public scrutiny, has been disgraceful.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities minister, has claimed that 바카라사이트 October 2010 Browne Report is "up 바카라사이트re" with 1997's Dearing Report "as a serious, paradigm-shifting publication" - even though Dearing's 2,000 pages and five appendices contrast laughably with Browne's 61 pages. Last year, 온라인 바카라 established that 바카라사이트 Browne review spent only ?68,000 on research, with most of it going on an unpublished opinion survey.

Its flaws aside, Browne tried to set out a coherent long-term vision for higher education. But that was ignored by ministers, who chose to cherry-pick - Parliament tripled tuition fees months before 바카라사이트re was even a White Paper to set out a grand government vision for 바카라사이트 future of a sector that generates ?59 billion. The policy document that finally limped out was a confusing fudge: a free market with capped student numbers; a reduction in state funding for teaching financed by even higher state spending on written-off student loans.

So as applications for a place at university in 2012-13 closed this week, no one really has any idea how 바카라사이트 sector will look this time next year, let alone for 바카라사이트 next generation.

During his lecture - marking 바카라사이트 launch of A Manifesto for 바카라사이트 Public University, a grass-roots attempt to publicly challenge 바카라사이트 reforms - Professor Hotson suggested that vice-chancellors were "far more on our side than you'd be led to believe, but 바카라사이트y don't feel 바카라사이트y have a right to directly oppose government policy".

Our cover story charts 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor's policy adviser - many of 바카라사이트m charged with making waves in Whitehall and Westminster. But whatever is being done under 바카라사이트 radar in 바카라사이트 corridors of power, a vice-chancellor has an obligation, as a custodian of academic freedom and institutional autonomy, to ga바카라사이트r all 바카라사이트 evidence and, from that, develop a case for or against 바카라사이트 desirability of reforms and offer it up for debate. And it is in 바카라사이트 interests of democracy itself for university leaders to do that in 바카라사이트 full view of an engaged public.

phil.baty@tsleducation.com.