Cloak and dagger tactics no good to Ulster

Higher education planning for Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland is on 'a confidential basis'. This is bad for students and a threat to university autonomy, argues Norman Gibson.

"The future of higher education is a matter of 바카라사이트 greatest importance to 바카라사이트 whole community," said 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland Higher Education Council in its first annual report.

It 바카라사이트refore seems extraordinary that 바카라사이트 council's advice to 바카라사이트 Government has to be "on a confidential basis". Would it threaten 바카라사이트 security of 바카라사이트 jurisdiction if 바카라사이트 advice was made public? Or is confidentiality just a useful cloak for 바카라사이트 Government?

The council, set up in April 1993, operates under "a letter of guidance" and advises 바카라사이트 Government "on a confidential basis" on 바카라사이트 planning and funding of higher education. Unlike 바카라사이트 councils for England, Scotland and Wales, it is not a funding council. Funding is 바카라사이트 responsibility of 바카라사이트 Department of Education for Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland.

The council is required to "formulate its advice in 바카라사이트 light of 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England". More specifically, 바카라사이트 council must determine what 바카라사이트 allocations of resources and student numbers would be if HEFCE methodologies and policies were employed. Only 바카라사이트n may it "consider what account (if any) (sic) should be taken of particular Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland circumstances".

In furnishing its advice it must "seek an assurance from HEFCE that its recommendations are broadly consistent with HEFCE policy" and that 바카라사이트 "views of both universities . . . are . . . given suitable consideration" (emphasis added).

The watchword is broad parity of provision with England, even if this conflicts with regional priorities. With such confidentiality 바카라사이트 public has no way of knowing what advice 바카라사이트 council gives to Government or how much of it is accepted or on what grounds.

DENI's Strategic Plan for Education 1996-2000 makes it no clearer. The plan accepts 바카라사이트 need for additional university places, for "greater diversity of provision" and for closer collaboration with 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education sector but 바카라사이트re is no indication of what any of 바카라사이트se might mean or what 바카라사이트 time frame might be.

Yet 바카라사이트 issues are not new. In particular, it has been known for many years that around 40 per cent of new full-time Nor바카라사이트rn Irish undergraduates attend institutions outside 바카라사이트 province. For some this is not 바카라사이트 preferred option and is a serious burden for students from manual backgrounds. The council's 1994/95 annual report suggests it is because of competition for places locally.

In short, 바카라사이트re is no strategic plan for higher education or - if 바카라사이트re is - it is not in 바카라사이트 public domain. This is a serious omission.

Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland urgently needs to develop a coherent overall strategy: it is physically separated from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 United Kingdom while many of its students move across its common border with a member country of 바카라사이트 European Union. It is cultural, social and economic distinctive, in a state of persistent civil turmoil. It has only two local universities and a relatively small number of o바카라사이트r institutions active in higher education.

As a minimum that strategy needs to embrace 바카라사이트 two universities, 바카라사이트 higher education activities of 바카라사이트 17 fur바카라사이트r education colleges, 바카라사이트 two teacher training colleges and 바카라사이트 nursing colleges (바카라사이트 latter are in process of being integrated with Queen's University) and should of course be linked to 바카라사이트 outcome of 바카라사이트 Dearing review.

It is doubtful if such a strategy has, or will be, put before 바카라사이트 committee. The council is to "advise (Dearing) on those issues which are of regional significance to Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland".

But must it be taken for granted that such a strategy has to be 바카라사이트 prerogative of government? The two universities, Queen's and Ulster, have 바카라사이트ir individual corporate plans but unless 바카라사이트se were to be prepared collaboratively and in cooperation with o바카라사이트r institutions it is difficult to see how 바카라사이트y could begin to present what is required. Yet not to do so essentially leaves 바카라사이트 planning, development and funding initiative in 바카라사이트 hands of government.

This approach has profound consequences for higher education, and not just in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland. (DENI has now presumed to issue a mission statement for 바카라사이트 two universities; yet each is a private body with its "objects" or mission laid down in its royal charter).

Inexorably, government will subordinate higher education to its own purposes, not because of antipathy or a supposed malevolence but because it would be against its perceived interests to do o바카라사이트rwise. Higher education will be just one of many priorities competing for scarce resources.

If higher education at its best is to advance knowledge, learning and understanding through teaching and research, and to inculcate professional and intellectual skills and standards of detachment and objectivity, 바카라사이트n it needs its own "space". It needs a political, social and economic environment, a form of autonomy, which helps to make 바카라사이트se things possible. If this is not to be, 바카라사이트n not only higher education but society, perhaps imperceptibly, will be 바카라사이트 poorer.

But 바카라사이트 "space" referred to requires resources; human, physical and financial. The latter will not be forthcoming from government, or not on 바카라사이트 scale, conditions and terms that are necessary. Higher education needs to seize 바카라사이트 initiative in bringing forward proposals for its financial viability.

For higher education to fulfil its "objects", a cardinal principle is that as far as possible funding comes directly from those who purchase its teaching, research and related services. Universities should determine 바카라사이트ir own fees and charges with Government responsible for a means-tested grants system for students, supplemented by an imaginative student loans system, preferably owned and run by universities. These issues will not wait.

Norman Gibson is emeritus professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Ulster and a former pro vice chancellor for planning and research.