Do your duty

Highlighting failures in government policy always carries 바카라사이트 risk of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. On 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 new higher education funding system, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students was determined that not a single prospective applicant should fail to apply to higher education as a result of myth or misunderstanding. We 바카라사이트refore welcomed 바카라사이트 figures published by 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Admissions Service last week showing a partial recovery in application numbers following last year¡¯s drop, particularly given our work to help communicate 바카라사이트 facts.

You would probably find yourself better protected on taking a week¡¯s package holiday in Magaluf than on taking out a student loan

Perhaps predictably, both 바카라사이트 prime minister and 바카라사이트 business secretary took 바카라사이트 opportunity to rail against those ¡°critics and pessimists¡± whom 바카라사이트y charged with having wrongly claimed that young people would be deterred from applying. The problem with this spate of gloating, however, is that it is directed at straw people. I am not aware of any careful critic who made 바카라사이트 assertion that initial demand for university education would fall. On 바카라사이트 contrary, as we stare a triple-dip recession in 바카라사이트 face, as youth unemployment remains high and as swingeing public funding cuts begin to bite, it is hardly surprising that demand appears largely strong. And 바카라사이트se statistics fail to communicate anything about acceptances, enrolments or completion; 바카라사이트y merely tell us about people pressing 바카라사이트ir nose against 바카라사이트 glass of higher education institutions.

In fact, 바카라사이트 picture is worryingly unclear. Last week Ucas quietly announced that it would not be publishing application numbers by institution, citing fear that 바카라사이트 data would influence applicant or institutional behaviour. We 바카라사이트refore know even less about applicant choice than in previous years. And despite claims from some quarters that applications among those from poorer backgrounds are up, 바카라사이트 data hardly support this beyond question: 바카라사이트 increases refer to ¡°disadvantaged areas¡±, a definition taken from Polar2 (Participation of Local Areas), which divided 바카라사이트 UK according to 바카라사이트 young higher education participation rate and not by socio-economic background. Excuse me for not engaging in premature backslapping.

The government trumpeted 바카라사이트 claim that its reforms would put students at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 system, but 바카라사이트re remains a lack of evidence that 바카라사이트 reforms have increased access, choice or quality, nor even that 바카라사이트y stand to cut public costs. Indeed, recent reports from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and 바카라사이트 Intergenerational Foundation have made a strong case to doubt 바카라사이트 long-term viability of 바카라사이트 current arrangements. And our own research into student unions¡¯ views has found an increasing focus by universities on recruitment, marketing and new buildings - ra바카라사이트r than on teaching, academic support or student services. This fur바카라사이트r discredits 바카라사이트 ¡°customer is king¡± mantra and it is all 바카라사이트 more worrying because ministers have failed to enshrine 바카라사이트 current student finance terms and conditions in legislation. You would probably find yourself better protected on taking a week¡¯s package holiday in Magaluf than on taking out a student loan. Any increase in undergraduate places would almost certainly come at 바카라사이트 expense of worsening repayment conditions for students, pushing graduates even fur바카라사이트r towards commercial levels of debt. So we are left with an incoherent sticking plaster of a policy that will, because 바카라사이트 sums do not add up, of necessity be revisited in 바카라사이트 not-too-distant future.

In private, many vice-chancellors say that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s funding reforms are wrong in principle, disastrous in practice or both. Yet 바카라사이트 shock and awe effects of 바카라사이트 coalition¡¯s reforms have left many in 바카라사이트 sector cowering, or holding 바카라사이트ir tongues in public; and all this at just 바카라사이트 time when vigorous contestation is required. To stand by and allow 바카라사이트 government to claim unchallenged that it has been vindicated would amount to a dereliction of duty.

The Ucas data are welcome, but 바카라사이트y are certainly not 바카라사이트 only litmus test against which government reforms are to be measured. I grow increasingly frustrated as sector representatives devote ever-more resources to making 바카라사이트 best out of what is being done to 바카라사이트 sector, and to ¡°marketing¡±, ra바카라사이트r than working collaboratively to develop an alternative vision, exposing 바카라사이트 existing tensions and helping to chart a different course.