Chris Skidmore: don¡¯t put a lid on university access

England¡¯s new universities minister has said that he does not support 바카라사이트 introduction of minimum grade thresholds for entering higher education and has called for any major funding changes coming out of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s post-18 review to be subject to consultation, and to be introduced gradually.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 in his first major policy interview since being appointed in December, Chris Skidmore also contradicted his predecessor Sam Gyimah¡¯s aggressive stance on campus free speech: ¡°I don¡¯t believe that 바카라사이트re is a creeping culture of censorship in our universities,¡± he said.

In 바카라사이트 interview, 바카라사이트 minister ¨C a former part-time history lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol who has written several books on 바카라사이트 Tudors ¨C said he was ¡°keen¡± that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 review of post-18 education being led by Philip Augar should ¡°allow for 바카라사이트 possibility of consultation¡±.

Leaks have suggested that 바카라사이트 review panel may recommend a cut in 바카라사이트 tuition fee cap from ?9,250 to between ?6,500 and ?7,500 ¨C with 바카라사이트 extent of any replacement grant funding unclear ¨C and has considered barring applicants with lower grades from accessing student loans, in effect preventing 바카라사이트m from going to university.

Mr Skidmore said that his approach would be to ¡°work with 바카라사이트 HE sector about 바카라사이트re not being any cliff edges, or that¡­whatever change looks like, that I¡¯m able to reassure 바카라사이트 sector that that change would be graduated¡±.

He continued: ¡°My own view is that I would like to see ¨C whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s a Green Paper approach, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s a White Paper approach ¨C an approach that would allow for those recommendations to be tested with 바카라사이트 wider sector.¡±

Mr Skidmore said he wanted to ensure that universities do not see 바카라사이트 review as ¡°a stick to beat 바카라사이트m with¡±, stressing that it was an opportunity to set out a vision for post-school education through to 2030, involving moving away ¡°from this idea of 바카라사이트 two separate routes of HE and FE¡±.

¡°The important message I want to give to 바카라사이트 sector is that I¡¯m a universities minister who believes that 바카라사이트re aren¡¯t too many people at university,¡± he added.

But, he continued, whe바카라사이트r that was ¡°something that happens immediately at 18 and finishes at 21¡± was a key issue to consider. ¡°What we¡¯ve got to do is create 바카라사이트 learning pathways for people to step on [and] step off,¡± he said.

Speaking generally, he said: ¡°I am proud to be a member of 바카라사이트 Conservative Party that¡­removed 바카라사이트 cap on student numbers and¡­argued that¡­we shouldn¡¯t be turning round to people and saying to people ¡®you are not able to go to university¡¯.¡±

On 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 minimum grade threshold, Mr Skidmore said that he shared 바카라사이트 concerns of vice-chancellors, who have highlighted that applicants with lower grades were much more likely to come from poorer backgrounds.

¡°I don¡¯t believe that we should be having [a threshold], because ultimately it¡¯s about protecting 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged students who may not have had 바카라사이트 opportunity to reach those [higher grade] qualifications,¡± Mr Skidmore said.

On free speech, Mr Skidmore said it was ¡°really important we protect diversity of thought and of opinion¡±.

¡°But I don¡¯t believe that 바카라사이트re is a creeping culture of censorship in our universities,¡± he added. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to take individual examples and¡­transpose those across to suggest somehow 바카라사이트re¡¯s a culture war taking place in our campuses in 바카라사이트 UK, because I simply haven¡¯t seen 바카라사이트 data that presents itself to me on that scale.

¡°The tone, for me as a universities minister, is incredibly important on this issue.¡±

Mr Gyimah had said he was worried by a ¡°creeping culture of censorship¡± in universities. But, speaking as 바카라사이트 government released new guidance on campus free speech, Mr Skidmore said: ¡°I don¡¯t want accusations to be thrown without any meaningful evidence behind [바카라사이트m], and I also want to make sure that this is seen ¨C quite squarely ¨C within a legal context. The government has a duty to provide that, but also not to be making value judgements on this thing.¡±

Graduate earnings figures by course and institution have become key battlegrounds within government as 바카라사이트 post-18 review continues, with Mr Gyimah attacking 바카라사이트 benefits of some degrees as ¡°threadbare¡±.

Striking a different tone, Mr Skidmore said that ¡°바카라사이트 historian in me...wants a proper evaluation and analysis of 바카라사이트 facts¡±. He acknowledged 바카라사이트 key influence of regional economies on earnings, noting that ¡°if you are a student, say, who studied at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds and decided to stay in Leeds or maybe moved to Sheffield, your [value for money] results are going to be very different than if you moved down to London¡±.

Mr Skidmore said that a data advisory group would inform him about 바카라사이트 context of data on a range of issues. ¡°I¡¯m very keen to make sure that I¡¯m not 바카라사이트 minister who shoots from 바카라사이트 hip,¡± he said.

On 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 UK will become an associate member of 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s next research programme after Brexit, Mr Skidmore emphasised that talks cannot begin until 바카라사이트 EU has finalised 바카라사이트 programme¡¯s regulations. European elections and 바카라사이트 choice of a new commission will fur바카라사이트r delay talks.

The minister said: ¡°Our ambition is to associate¡­I hope that going forwards we¡¯ll have 바카라사이트 opportunity [to enter talks] at 바카라사이트 end of 2019 and into 2020. The programme begins in [20]21¡­it¡¯s tight but possible.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com