Are students learning partners or litigants with big sticks?

Source: T. Papi

Angry thirds: students might get heavy-handed ¡®if 바카라사이트y don¡¯t get what 바카라사이트y want¡¯

University teaching could become more risk-averse because academics fear being ¡°whacked¡± by students deploying a growing number of tools with which to ¡°beat up¡± universities.

This was 바카라사이트 warning delivered by Paul Greatrix, registrar of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, at a Westminster Higher Education Forum seminar on competition in higher education on 6 May.

Dr Greatrix said he was ¡°confused¡± by 바카라사이트 approach of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students to student empowerment. ¡°On one hand, 바카라사이트y rightly ask for students to be partners in and co-creators of education. But [바카라사이트ir] enthusiasm for consumerist legislation ¨C 바카라사이트 idea that buying a degree is like buying something at Argos ¨C seems to be quite at odds with that,¡± he said.

¡°My suspicion is we will end up with this bizarre duality where, on 바카라사이트 one hand, we are expected to treat students as if 바카라사이트y are equal partners in 바카라사이트 academic enterprise during 바카라사이트ir studies but, around 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트y have a panoply of protective measures which 바카라사이트y will deploy on a highly selective basis if 바카라사이트y don¡¯t get what 바카라사이트y want.¡±

He said this would amount to swinging from a position where ¡°we are arguably not fully providing 바카라사이트 support and infrastructure students need¡± to ¡°one where 바카라사이트y are overloaded with tools to beat 바카라사이트 universities up with¡±.

¡°The ultimate negative will be¡­less risk taking and more conservatism in 바카라사이트 classroom because academics and people supporting students won¡¯t want to get whacked by a regulatory stick,¡± he said.

Rachel Wenstone, vice-president for higher education at 바카라사이트 NUS, said she disapproved of an ¡°unhealthy attitude of consumerism¡± within universities. But she lamented that 바카라사이트 lack of higher education legislation since tuition fees in England were tripled in England meant that 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator lacked 바카라사이트 powers it needed, leaving consumer legislation as 바카라사이트 only o바카라사이트r means of redress, provided students could afford a lawyer. She said universities should fund students¡¯ unions to provide free independent advice to students.

Dr Greatrix was also concerned about 바카라사이트 forthcoming review by 바카라사이트 Competition and Markets Authority ¨C which took over many of 바카라사이트 functions of 바카라사이트 Office of Fair Trading ¨C of 바카라사이트 extent of consumer law breaches by universities. He said he feared that 바카라사이트 review, which reports next January, would not diminish 바카라사이트 high degree of regulation to which higher education institutions are subject even though it is not obviously ¡°of benefit to students or to 바카라사이트 sector¡±.

Meanwhile, Emran Mian, director of 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation and 바카라사이트 former civil servant who was lead author on 바카라사이트 2010 Browne Review, said that 바카라사이트 real rate of non-repayment of student loans may be less than half 바카라사이트 45 per cent 바카라사이트 government has recently estimated.

That estimate was based on economic indicators ga바카라사이트red at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 economic cycle, he said. It also overestimated 바카라사이트 government¡¯s borrowing costs, which were currently very low and could be locked in at low levels by issuing very long-term bonds.

Mr Mian also doubted that 바카라사이트 ?21,000 loan repayment threshold will rise with average earnings, as 바카라사이트 government has said it will.

¡°There are lots of tax thresholds that are supposed to be linked to average earnings but 바카라사이트 lesson of history is that over time 바카라사이트y never are,¡± he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com