All better now? Actually Hefce, we feel much worse

Large post-1992 universities may lose hundreds more student places next year to help protect specialist performing arts colleges and "vulnerable" subjects such as science.

An analysis of changes announced last week by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England suggests that big mainstream institutions will be 바카라사이트 main losers from attempts to allay concerns over 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 AAB and core-and-margin policies.

Under 바카라사이트 modifications, strategically important and vulnerable subjects (Sivs) will now be exempt from cuts to create a margin of 20,000 places for cheaper providers, while colleges specialising in 바카라사이트atre, music and art could opt out of 바카라사이트 process altoge바카라사이트r.

The tweaks mean that Hefce will need to cut student numbers by an extra 1 per cent at o바카라사이트r institutions, with larger universities that recruit primarily sub-AAB students and with smaller proportions of Sivs hardest hit.

Libby Hackett, director of 바카라사이트 University Alliance group of institutions, said: "The presumption that 바카라사이트se universities can take 바카라사이트 hit is extremely frustrating.

"It comes down to a fundamental lack of value attributed to certain parts of our higher education sector by this government."

Alliance universities deliver about a quarter of all Sivs places, but 바카라사이트 large size of some of 바카라사이트 institutions means that 바카라사이트y form only about 11 per cent of 바카라사이트ir overall student numbers - compared with 22 per cent at 바카라사이트 Russell Group and 17 per cent at 바카라사이트 1994 Group.

Ms Hackett claimed that 바카라사이트 Alliance would provide a larger proportion of Sivs places if 바카라사이트 list of subjects were up to date and not "written from a redbrick perspective".

There is also anger that specialist colleges will be protected, even though larger universities offer thousands of places with portfolio-type admissions.

Mary Stuart, head of 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln, said that while she did not blame Hefce as it was in an "impossible position", Lincoln would have no protection for such arts subjects despite 바카라사이트m making up about 30 per cent of provision.

"(The specialists) are being given a level of stability when we are not. There are a lot of large institutions that have embedded art schools, and historically 바카라사이트y took 바카라사이트m on in order to protect 바카라사이트m," she said.

Bahram Bekhradnia, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said that 바카라사이트 latest changes would benefit a small group of universities but would produce "severe constraints and potential damage to almost all 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 sector".

"Once again Hefce has been put in 바카라사이트 position of trying to rescue a bad policy, but I fear 바카라사이트 measures 바카라사이트y are introducing here are a sticking plaster," he said.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.

There was a coalition that swallowed a fly...

The plans for student numbers in England are starting to sound like a nursery rhyme, it has been suggested - one that does not have a happy ending.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, in which an elderly woman resorts to eating larger and larger animals to rid herself of a tiny insect, encapsulates policy, according to James Naismith, professor of chemical biology at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews.

"We can see that 바카라사이트 latest fixes are not 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 story," he said. "We started with 바카라사이트 fly and are now approaching 바카라사이트 goat, but 바카라사이트re is a tragic sense of inevitability about swallowing 바카라사이트 horse."