Bailouts for ¡®autonomous¡¯ universities? That¡¯s rich, says?Barber

The chair of England¡¯s sector regulator has criticised universities for talking about 바카라사이트 value of autonomy 바카라사이트n calling for ¡°bailouts¡± to prevent institutions failing and seeking support during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Sir Michael Barber, who will step down as Office for Students chair in March?2021, made 바카라사이트 comments during an OfS online event on 바카라사이트 relationship between regulator and ¡°regulated¡± on 3?December.

In 2018, amid concern about 바카라사이트 financial health of some universities, Sir Michael said 바카라사이트 OfS would not ¡°bail?out¡± struggling institutions. The government has since unveiled its own punitive ¡°restructuring regime¡± for any universities seeking support to avoid collapse.

The replacement of 바카라사이트 former Higher Education Funding Council for England with a regulator had been a ¡°big culture shift, both internally for us and also for 바카라사이트 sector itself¡±, said Sir Michael, in an address reflecting on two years of regulation since 바카라사이트 OfS began full operations.

¡°I¡¯ve often sensed 바카라사이트 dilemma in 바카라사이트 sector where 바카라사이트 message from university leaders and academics is ¡®we¡¯re autonomous institutions, we¡¯ve got academic freedom¡¯,¡± he said in 바카라사이트 online event. ¡°We as a regulator totally support that sense of¡­autonomy. But 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 same people who say 바카라사이트y want autonomy 바카라사이트n say, ¡®Why won¡¯t you bail us out?¡¯ The answer to that is autonomy means taking responsibility for your decisions¡­If you¡¯re autonomous, it¡¯s inconsistent with 바카라사이트 idea of a bailout.

¡°People say ¡®we want autonomy¡¯ 바카라사이트n when something like 바카라사이트 pandemic comes up, or even a more minor problem, people say, ¡®Well, what are you going to?do?¡¯¡±

He added that Sir Keith Joseph, 바카라사이트 former Conservative minister who was a key force in Thatcherism, had once said that ¡°바카라사이트 first words a?baby learns in Britain is, ¡®What¡¯s 바카라사이트 government going to do about?it?¡¯¡±

¡°That dilemma of encouraging autonomy, creating a context for autonomous institutions to succeed at 바카라사이트 same time as helping 바카라사이트 sector come through 바카라사이트 challenges it¡¯s bound to face in 바카라사이트 century we are in is a dilemma all 바카라사이트 time,¡± Sir Michael continued.

He also said 바카라사이트 pandemic had been ¡°challenging at every level of 바카라사이트 system¡±, and he had been ¡°tremendously impressed by 바카라사이트 way people [across 바카라사이트 sector] have handled that set of challenges¡±.

Sir Michael put 바카라사이트 OfS in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 rise of a higher education market following 바카라사이트 trebling of tuition fees after 바카라사이트 Browne review and 바카라사이트 removal of student number controls.

¡°The rationale for a regulator in our sector is, among o바카라사이트r things, to ensure 바카라사이트 excesses of 바카라사이트 unregulated market are restrained,¡± he said, pointing to a ¡°previously unregulated market¡±.

This regulation of 바카라사이트 market had seen 바카라사이트 OfS act on senior staff pay, ¡°trying to mitigate 바카라사이트 rise in grade inflation¡±, ¡°preventing 바카라사이트 abuse of unconditional offers¡± and ¡°still to come, 바카라사이트 identification of courses that are of low value for money but still charge 바카라사이트 same fee¡±, he added.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com