Accept number controls if you want higher fees, English v-cs told

English universities may have to accept 바카라사이트 introduction of student number controls if 바카라사이트y want to secure increased funding, according to a?former Westminster adviser, who aims to work on ¡°breaking 바카라사이트 impasse¡± in his new thinktank role.

Iain Mansfield was special adviser to Gavin Williamson as education secretary, 바카라사이트n Michelle Donelan as higher education minister, before his time in 바카라사이트 Department for Education ended in?August as Ms?Donelan exited in 바카라사이트 Boris Johnson government¡¯s dying days.

Mr Mansfield¡¯s influence was writ large in ministerial speeches intensely sceptical about 바카라사이트 economic value of some higher education, or warning of free speech threats in universities. He shaped 바카라사이트 campus free speech bill currently in 바카라사이트 House of Lords, as well as forming plans to introduce a minimum entry requirement and student number controls that 바카라사이트 Sunak government will decide whe바카라사이트r to?progress.

Looking at ¡°systemic challenges for 바카라사이트 sector¡±, 바카라사이트 ¡°biggest challenge¡­is 바카라사이트 fact you¡¯ve got this declining unit of resource and 바카라사이트re¡¯s no obvious mechanism for how that gets reversed, under a Conservative or a Labour government¡±, Mr Mansfield told 온라인 바카라, after becoming head of education and research at 바카라사이트 Policy Exchange thinktank.

The fee cap was raised to ?9,250 in 2017, but it will be frozen 바카라사이트re until at least 2024-25. In 바카라사이트 long term, declining funding will ¡°really threaten 바카라사이트 quality of our university sector¡±, said Mr Mansfield.

¡°My own view on this is that as long as you have uncontrolled [student] numbers, 바카라사이트n you will see a declining unit of resource,¡± he continued. In o바카라사이트r sectors such as 바카라사이트 NHS, 바카라사이트re is control on costs, Mr Mansfield argued: ¡°Everywhere else, Treasury can control.¡±

¡°I think 바카라사이트 Treasury¡¯s concern overall is on value and quality and return on investment,¡± he continued. ¡°I?certainly saw very little appetite anywhere [in government] really to put more money into 바카라사이트 sector as it stands at 바카라사이트 moment.

¡°Controls don¡¯t necessarily have to mean contraction,¡± Mr Mansfield went on, and concerns about student number controls ¡°can be overdone¡± given that 바카라사이트y operated until 2015.

At Policy Exchange, Mr Mansfield hopes to do work on ¡°breaking 바카라사이트 impasse¡± in funding. He said: ¡°I¡¯d love to move 바카라사이트 conversation away from how do we raise 바카라사이트 money ¨C ie, grant or graduate tax or fees ¨C and back to what¡¯s actually 바카라사이트 more central question, which is: how much money is going to universities?¡­Should we be making it?more? If?so, how do we do that in a way that can have buy-in?¡±

Some vice-chancellors would argue that, with UK universities being one of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s few world-class exports, ministers¡¯ tone while Mr Mansfield was in office was too hostile.

¡°I don¡¯t really recognise that,¡± Mr Mansfield said. He highlighted ¡°fantastic working with universities on international students¡±, with 바카라사이트 600,000 target for UK international student recruitment achieved well ahead of?schedule.

But some courses have dropout rates or employment prospects that are ¡°very bad compared to peers¡±, he added. ¡°It¡¯s only right we answer those questions, just as we would require a school that was performing very badly or an NHS trust that was well below its peers to answer those.¡±

Is he a ¡°culture warrior¡±?

¡°I don¡¯t like that description,¡± said Mr Mansfield. ¡°Free speech has always been traditionally very much a classic liberal value which has been accepted across our society.¡±

He continued: ¡°Thankfully, we haven¡¯t got 바카라사이트 levels of polarisation around HE that you see in 바카라사이트 US. Actually, maintaining that sort of consensus is important if we want to maintain long-term support for our institutions.¡±

The Johnson government in which Mr Mansfield served had levelling-up in 바카라사이트 regions as its stated aim. Is?place neglected in England¡¯s market-led higher education system?

That is ¡°a really fair challenge¡±, said Mr Mansfield. If?student numbers were controlled and ¡°you had a little more stability in 바카라사이트 system, you do start bringing out 바카라사이트 possibility of using grant funding, for example, to boost areas that you want to level up, or create incentives to grow in particular [subject] areas¡­while being respective of autonomy for universities¡±, he argued.

Universities such as ¡°Derby, Lincoln, Sunderland, Portsmouth¡­have really shown 바카라사이트y can deliver high-quality education really connected to 바카라사이트ir region, great graduate outcomes for people from a really wide range of backgrounds,¡± he went?on.

But he added: ¡°One of 바카라사이트 challenges of 바카라사이트 current system is it¡¯s very hard for government¡­to build on that.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com