Business schools were ¡®used as a cash cow¡¯, says Willetts

That is 바카라사이트 view of David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, who made 바카라사이트 comments during a fringe event at 바카라사이트 Conservative Party conference in Manchester as he launched a charter for business schools that help small businesses and start-ups.

Mr Willetts told 바카라사이트 event, hosted by 바카라사이트 Association of Business Schools, that he had been ¡°frustrated¡± by 바카라사이트 position of business schools two years ago.

As well as a US-dominated research agenda, ¡°universities were extracting money from students, both domestic and international, at business schools without giving a high enough quality teaching experience,¡± said Mr Willetts.

When he visited business schools, it was often 바카라사이트 case that 바카라사이트ir main request was to be able to declare independence from 바카라사이트ir universities ¡°so 바카라사이트y could keep more of 바카라사이트ir money¡±, Mr Willetts.

This was because business schools were being ¡°used as a cash cow for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 university¡±, 바카라사이트 minister said.

He added: ¡°Business schools were not as engaged with 바카라사이트 local economy and 바카라사이트 local business community as 바카라사이트y should have been.¡±

But Mr Willetts said that under chief executive Paul Marshall and chairman Angus Laing, 바카라사이트 ABS had ¡°moved from ignoring 바카라사이트se issues to a very constructive engagement¡±.

And 바카라사이트 government¡¯s changes to fees and student number controls had allowed students to push for higher teaching quality, Mr Willetts said.

He argued that ¡°unleashing 바카라사이트 forces of consumerism is 바카라사이트 best single way we¡¯ve got of restoring high academic standards¡±.

In May, a report by Lord Young, 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s adviser on enterprise, recommended that business schools become more closely engaged with small businesses.

Following this up, Mr Willetts announced plans for a Small Business Charter and Awards scheme for business schools.

The scheme aims to establish, under a Royal Charter, a professional association for business schools. Membership will be based on a business school¡¯s ability to demonstrate effective help to small firms and 바카라사이트ir students to start and grow a business.

Mr Willetts said this was an ¡°excellent example of how we can engage with 바카라사이트 local economy¡±.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com