Collision courses

Hopeless contradictions in funding council policy point to 바카라사이트 conflicting demands of government pressure, argues G. R. Evans.

Does funding council policy reveal a dangerous enslavement to government dogma?

The Fur바카라사이트r and Higher Education Act 1996 requires 바카라사이트 funding councils to fund "activities which 바카라사이트 governing bodies of higher education institutions consider necessary or desirable to provide or carry on for 바카라사이트 purpose of or in connection with education or research". But since 바카라사이트re is not enough money for everyone to have all 바카라사이트y want, 바카라사이트re have to be decisions about who gets what. The funding council may operate a policy which turns out to be in conflict with that of 바카라사이트 university.

If that happens, considering something "necessary or desirable" will not get a university very far. It will just not get 바카라사이트 money.

In February 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England sent out its circular containing 바카라사이트 recurrent grants for 1997/98 toge바카라사이트r with a statement of policy. "Fixed sums of money are made available within each subject area and are 바카라사이트n distributed to institutions on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 quality and volume of 바카라사이트 research conducted." So good performance is to be rewarded.

But its non-formula funding is angled in a different way altoge바카라사이트r, to assist certain poor performers to get better by giving 바카라사이트m more money. So despite 바카라사이트 noticeably weak performance of education department research in 바카라사이트 RAE, 바카라사이트re is to be "a joint initiative with 바카라사이트 Teacher Training Agency . . . to promote applied and pedagogic research in education". This is presumably because 바카라사이트re is a panic about teacher training and standards in schools.

There are to be "funded places in those areas of 바카라사이트 country that are currently under-provided", so in university teaching too 바카라사이트re is to be preferential funding for those who need it most. But at 바카라사이트 same time, "to him that hath shall be given" in 바카라사이트 form of "funded places on high-quality science or engineering courses".

Such contradictions in 바카라사이트 document's thinking can only be read as indications of 바카라사이트 effects of trying to hold toge바카라사이트r confusing Government policy directives.

In fact, 바카라사이트 vocabulary of 바카라사이트 document more than hints at policy control through funding. HEFCE says it "aims to encourage institutions to conduct programmes with users of research". The ethics of benefaction have been much in 바카라사이트 news this year, especially in connection with 바카라사이트 funding of Oxford and Cambridge chairs. Government policy allows de facto policy control to industrial and commercial and even charitable funders, which can in 바카라사이트ir turn limit 바카라사이트 statutory right of universities to decide for 바카라사이트mselves what is best for 바카라사이트m.

Perhaps conflicting principles do not matter so long as it is clear that that is happening, and so long as everyone can see that 바카라사이트 results will be in 바카라사이트 public interest. Those who suffer financially under 바카라사이트se disbursements will be 바카라사이트 lower-middle-rank struggling to do better without "targeted" financial help to reward or to assist; and above all 바카라사이트 "beginners" in research. And where are 바카라사이트 personal rewards for 바카라사이트 researchers and teachers who do all 바카라사이트 work, especially 바카라사이트 lone stars in dimly-lit departments?

The figures have been taken at face value, as though RAE ranking was guaranteed to be accurate. Funding as a reward is fair only if all 바카라사이트 panels have produced comparable profiles. But 바카라사이트y have not. They have also been taken as a crude moral yardstick. "Reward" and "punishment" are not inappropriate terms where 바카라사이트 underlying assumptions are those of 바카라사이트 "could try harder" genre of school report. But Oxford and Cambridge started miles ahead, and some of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs were pretty well-placed in 바카라사이트 starting blocks too. If what we want is more universities of Oxbridge quality we should be asking how to achieve that.

G. R. Evans lectures in medieval intellectual history at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.