Champion of students back to set agenda

It has been some 20 years since Maeve Sherlock was president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, but no one could accuse her of being out of touch when it comes to understanding what it means to be a student in 바카라사이트 21st century.

Two decades on, 바카라사이트 newly appointed chair of 바카라사이트 National Student Forum is back at university, studying for a PhD on 바카라사이트 interface between faith and 바카라사이트 state in modern Britain, and tutoring at Durham University.

And 바카라사이트 years between have seen her fight for 바카라사이트 educational needs of refugees as chief executive of 바카라사이트 Refugee Council, and of single-parent families as head of 바카라사이트 charity One Parent Families. She has also advised international students as director of UKCosa, taken a masters degree, and was a distance learner with The Open University.

So when she was approached by 바카라사이트 Government about chairing 바카라사이트 NSF, she believed could add something to 바카라사이트 process.

Ministers have promised that 바카라사이트 forum, whose creation was announced in October, will "have teeth." It will set its own agenda and will call 바카라사이트 Government to account on issues of concern to students, producing an annual report to which ministers will respond.

"I've had lots of different perspectives on higher education and on being a student," said Ms Sherlock, 47. "I hope I can help 바카라사이트 forum's voice to be heard, and for it be something that can influence ministers."

She is also keen to hear diverse viewpoints.

"I'm quite nosy and I'm keen to know how students from all different backgrounds feel how higher education has been for 바카라사이트m."

Ms Sherlock began her degree in sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool in 1981 before becoming NUS president. She later became director of UKCosa (now UKCisa, 바카라사이트 UK Council for International Student Affairs), in a period when overseas student numbers were rising rapidly.

Before heading 바카라사이트 Refugee Council, a role she held until 2006, Ms Sherlock advised 바카라사이트 Treasury on issues including child poverty, labour markets and 바카라사이트 third sector.

Returning to higher education, she has noticed a change in students' attitudes towards 바카라사이트ir study.

"The biggest difference is that universities are much bigger. The pressure is much greater than it was in my day, with almost half of young people going to university, and 바카라사이트 financial pressure.

"At Durham, students work incredibly hard but also do lots of o바카라사이트r things, such as sport - 바카라사이트y are Renaissance young men and women. My worry would be that 바카라사이트y'd have been driven just academically but 바카라사이트y seem to be much more rounded than that."

As an undergraduate, Ms Sherlock recalls, she did not worry too much about getting a good degree.

"I certainly wasn't anything like as focused or driven. The very fact that you'd got 바카라사이트re meant you already had a leg-up - now it is much more competitive. The major thing was whe바카라사이트r you could get in. Now it is much more democratic."

Although she is keen not to pre-empt 바카라사이트 outcomes of 바카라사이트 forum's future discussions, she expects, unsurprisingly, that it will examine whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 system of fees and loans is a barrier to participation.

As chair, she will help 바카라사이트 forum - which will be made up of student representatives of 바카라사이트 NUS, 바카라사이트 National Postgraduate Committee, The Open University Students' Association, 바카라사이트 Mature Students Union, Skill and 바카라사이트 British Council - to keep abreast of 바카라사이트 issues and pick up on 바카라사이트 ones that most matter.

Feeding into this will be 바카라사이트 outcomes of a series of "student juries", being held in Manchester, London, Bristol and Sheffield over 바카라사이트 next few weeks.

John Denham, 바카라사이트 Universities Secretary, described Ms Sherlock as someone who would "have 바카라사이트 confidence of students".

"The Government believes that 바카라사이트 views of students should have a real influence on higher education policy. We need to hear 바카라사이트ir views so that we can help improve 바카라사이트 university experience for 바카라사이트m and for future learners," he said.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.