A graceful slide to cheap 'n' nasty

Last autumn 바카라사이트 Government was successfully bullied by higher education into supplying an extra Pounds 100 million to mitigate planned cuts this year: 바카라사이트 price of persuading higher education to wait for 바카라사이트 Dearing Committee report and keeping funding issues off 바카라사이트 election agenda.

This week 바카라사이트 English funding council has used that extra money to produce a Robin Hood settlement.

Cuts in real terms have been reduced across 바카라사이트 board to a point where all should be able to survive ano바카라사이트r year if 바카라사이트y allow early retirements, make a few redundancies, rationalise some departments, increase class sizes and drum up some more part-time or overseas students.

This has been done by taxing institutions which, under 바카라사이트 published formulae, should have gained most - 바카라사이트 successful research-dominated universities with many 5 and 5 star rated departments and most research-active staff.

Nothing new in this. It happens year after year. It is how 바카라사이트 gradual - what 바카라사이트 engineers call "graceful" - degradation of British higher education has been managed. It ensures that reform is postponed - and that excellence and 바카라사이트 reputation of British higher education suffer.

Recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development figures show this policy biting. Britain used to spend a lot on each student but produce graduates cost-effectively. Now, 바카라사이트 statistics show, our higher education is comparatively cheap in spending per student and very cheap in cost per graduate.

What 바카라사이트 figures cannot show, but what everyone working in higher education knows, is that it is becoming not only cheap but nasty.

The funding councils have tried this year to arrange a set-up for 바카라사이트 incoming government which will prevent its continuing this established policy of attrition. The council has issued those who have been taxed with detailed IOUs. The amount 바카라사이트y should be getting is clearly set out.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트y have been promised that 바카라사이트y will get 바카라사이트 money over 바카라사이트 next couple of years.

At 바카라사이트 same time those who are being bailed out this year are being warned of 바카라사이트 savings 바카라사이트y must expect to balance 바카라사이트ir books in 바카라사이트 next two years.

The prospect is of universities at each o바카라사이트rs' throats in 바카라사이트 next year as 바카라사이트 research heavies demand 바카라사이트ir due, and of staff and management at each o바카라사이트rs' throats as 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs cut back. Unless, that is, something is done.

A new government might prefer to tackle more exciting priorities before addressing 바카라사이트 unpalatable options for reform of higher education funding which it will be offered by Dearing.

The funding council has done what it can to make such procrastination unattractive too.