Bloggers scrutinise parties¡¯ education policies

¡°I guess it¡¯s fair to say that I¡¯m a bit of nerd for higher education policy and that I have a more than normal level of interest in politics,¡± Derfel Owen, director of academic services at University College London, .

He is not kidding. The blog goes on, in three separate posts, to ask what each of 바카라사이트 three parties with 바카라사이트 most MPs in 바카라사이트 last Parliament ¨C 바카라사이트 Conservatives, 바카라사이트 Labour Party and 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats ¨C would do for 바카라사이트 university sector. Mr Owen scores each party based on four policy areas: tuition fees, research funding, immigration and membership of 바카라사이트 European Union. Marks are out of 10 for tuition fees and immigration, and out of five for 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs.

The , and given 바카라사이트 infamy of 바카라사이트 party¡¯s U-turn on its pledge not to increase tuition fees, you might expect it to perform poorly on this category. ¡°The Liberal Democrats have gone for that old trick of not [having] a policy as such,¡± surmises Mr Owen, meaning 바카라사이트y ¡°lose points for not having 바카라사이트 courage to stick up for 바카라사이트 fees regime 바카라사이트y put in place¡±. Thanks to a strong performance on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r three areas, however, 바카라사이트 party scores an impressive 23 out of 30.

The Labour Party, despite having a clear and costed tuition fees policy of reducing annual fees to ?6,000, also in this category. It is, Mr Owen declares, ¡°a cynical policy that rewards 바카라사이트 wrong people¡±. Although leader Ed Miliband¡¯s pro-Europe stance earns maximum points on 바카라사이트 immigration measure, it is not enough to save 바카라사이트 party from slumping to a disappointing 16 out of 30.

The , and its policy of having an in/out referendum on Europe does not play so well for higher education, Mr Owen believes. ¡°A prolonged renegotiation and a divisive referendum would limit 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s access to EU research funding,¡± he writes.

The continuation of 바카라사이트 Tories¡¯ ?9,000 fees policy is a positive, 바카라사이트 blog says, and 바카라사이트 party earns full marks in this category. Immigration, however, is a different matter.

¡°There was some vague hope that 바카라사이트 Conservatives might see 바카라사이트 light and be persuaded by 바카라사이트 Lib Dems to remove international students from 바카라사이트 net immigration figures,¡± Mr Owen writes. ¡°No such luck!¡± Final score ¨C 17 out of 30.

A separate blog by Gill Wyness, lecturer in 바카라사이트 economics of education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education and a research economist at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics¡¯ Centre for Economic Performance, took a slightly different view of 바카라사이트 ?9,000 tuition fees policy.

¡°The idea was to transfer 바카라사이트 burden of 바카라사이트 cost of higher education from 바카라사이트 taxpayer to graduates and to make 바카라사이트 system more competitive: it was expected that only 바카라사이트 top universities would charge 바카라사이트 full ?9,000 per year, while 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs could compete on price as well as quality,¡± on 바카라사이트 LSE¡¯s British Politics and Policy blog.

¡°The reforms¡­failed to deliver a more market based sector: 바카라사이트re is almost no variation in tuition fees, with 바카라사이트 average fee standing at ?8,735 per year,¡± she concludes.

Chris Parr

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