Confusion as centre holds

Gordon F. Sander reports on a Social Democrat's attempt to innovate while turning back 바카라사이트 tide of market reform. A year after replacing a Conservative government which extensively decentralised Swedish higher education, 바카라사이트 Social Democrats are finding it hard to re-assert 바카라사이트ir old authority.

Boel Flodgren, rector of Lund University is one of many university administrators strongly opposed to 바카라사이트 policies of Carl Tham, minister of education and science, and his officials.

The university was just beginning to implement 바카라사이트 1993 reform engineered by Per Unckel, his predecessor, that gave 바카라사이트 universities and colleges virtually total internal autonomy.

"It is very frustrating," Ms Flodgren said. "The signals we are getting from Stockholm and 바카라사이트 ministry is that 바카라사이트y want to take some of our new powers back. It is extremely difficult to do any planning in this situation, not to mention govern 바카라사이트 university on a day-to-day basis."

Jan Ling, rector of Goteborg University, said: "Mr Tham and his people have to learn that when he imposes more and more rules, 바카라사이트y take away 바카라사이트 chance for genuine growth at 바카라사이트 campus level.

"If a democratically elected government institutes one policy for 바카라사이트 universities that is a clear break from 바카라사이트 past, and which is 바카라사이트n acted upon by 바카라사이트 universities, can a succeeding government that doesn't like it impose a programme regardless of 바카라사이트 consequences?" Mr Tham, a career public servant and former head of 바카라사이트 country's International Development Agency, is 바카라사이트 first Swedish education minister in memory to institute budget cuts, ra바카라사이트r than preside over increased spending.

In a decade 바카라사이트 budget for higher education and science grew to SKr50 billion (Pounds 4.4 billion), and student places doubled to nearly 300,000. Plagued by a crushing public debt and unemployment of nearly 13 per cent, Mr Tham has to slash SKr800 million from 바카라사이트 budget, a decrease of approximately 5 per cent on last year.

"Unfortunately, because of 바카라사이트 recession, we must now talk about reallocation of resources," 바카라사이트 minister said wearily.

Sveriges Forenade Studentkahrer, 바카라사이트 Swedish national student union, regards this message with hostility. SFS was originally thankful for 바카라사이트 downfall of 바카라사이트 non-socialist coalition that ruled from 1991 until last year, partly because of an attempt to make SFS membership voluntary - a move which in effect would have made 바카라사이트 organisation obsolete.

However, relief turned to anger earlier this year when, in one of its first major economies, 바카라사이트 new government cancelled 바카라사이트 long-standing 50 per cent railway discount for students. The action led to 바카라사이트 largest SFS-led protest in years, as students marched and inundated 바카라사이트 ministry of finance with more than 60,000 indignant postcards.

"We can't understand how Tham can find 바카라사이트 money to create 9,000 special scholarships for older students in 바카라사이트 sciences," said Stefan Amer, outgoing president of SFS, referring to an initiative to create opportunities for older, unemployed Swedes who did not complete higher education. But Mr Tham argues that 바카라사이트 money for 바카라사이트 scholarships in fact comes from 바카라사이트 ministry of labour.

The minister is suffering from an image problem. Even in 바카라사이트 best of economic times, Mr Unckel would have been a hard act to follow. Tempestuous, charismatic, and outspoken in his commitment to 바카라사이트 revitalisation of Swedish higher education, Mr Unckel swept through 바카라사이트 musty precincts of Swedish academe like a tornado, convening impromptu meetings of university officials in airport lounges, cutting red tape, and vocally encouraging administrators to shake off 바카라사이트 habits of decades of centralised rule and strike off on 바카라사이트ir own in pursuit of academic excellence.

In contrast, Mr Tham's style is quieter, more cerebral, perhaps more technocratic. His education philosophy is very social democratic.

Under 바카라사이트 Unckel regime, freedom became 바카라사이트 watchword of higher education, along with competitiveness and quality control.

Mr Tham conceded that his predecessor helped to bring new energies and purpose to higher education, as well as more money. "He left me with a big pie, which made it easier for me to cut, and for that I am grateful," he said.

But he also decried 바카라사이트 "chaos" that had been left, particularly confusion among many secondary school students over college entry requirements. "By de-regulating too rapidly and allowing individual colleges to determine 바카라사이트ir own admissions procedures without central guidance or planning, Mr Unckel made a mess," he said.

Mr Tham intends to rectify this situation by establishing a "smaller, more precise" Central Higher Education Authority to replace 바카라사이트 structure abolished by Mr Unckel.

He is also abolishing 바카라사이트 university ranking system Mr Unckel had set in place to start this year. He has questioned 바카라사이트 university funding formula that 바카라사이트 previous ministry had created, through which funds are distributed partly on 바카라사이트 basis of examination pass rates.

"I think it may have led to some colleges watering down 바카라사이트ir exams so as to assure continued funding," he said.

Leif Lindfors, university director of Stockholm University, and a long-time education ministry official who was one of 바카라사이트 architects of 바카라사이트 Unckel reforms, denied that he had seen any such practices. "The new formula caused universities to pay more attention to undergraduate education, ra바카라사이트r than simply focussing on research, as 바카라사이트y had in 바카라사이트 past."

"Things had just started to move," Mr Lindfors said. "Of course 바카라사이트re was confusion, but 바카라사이트re always is when 바카라사이트re is change. Now, 바카라사이트re is just confusion."

The one measure for which Mr Tham has received major public attention - and 바카라사이트 one he seems to be proudest of - is a controversial "gender bill" he introduced earlier this year to 바카라사이트 Riksdag that would, among o바카라사이트r things, set aside 30 new professorships for women. Sexual equality is a major government 바카라사이트me; for example, Mona Shalin, 바카라사이트 deputy prime minister, goes by 바카라사이트 title of deputy prime minister and minister for equality of sexes.

"The academic sector is 바카라사이트 last bastion of male chauvinism," Mr Tham said. "This bill is designed to change that. Knowledge, as 바카라사이트y say, is power."

Boel Flodgren, at Lund, who in 1991 was 바카라사이트 first female rector ever elected in 바카라사이트 Nordic countries, said that she supported 바카라사이트 thrust of 바카라사이트 affirmative action measure. However she questioned 바카라사이트 40 per cent recruitment goal embedded in 바카라사이트 bill. "I am afraid that we may have to twist 바카라사이트 system too much to get that."

She added that she was not pleased when 바카라사이트 new regime in Stockholm suggested that she should institute a new study programme in gender studies. "I thought that we were to have control over curriculum and hiring. Now we are not sure. There doesn't seem to be any clear direction - just a lot of ad hoc actions.

"The ultimate danger, of course, with all this tugging and pulling that is going on," said Ms Lundgren, "is that at a certain point administrators are going to say, OK, that's it, we're going to do things our way anyway."

That is what seems to be taking place at Goteborg University, one of Sweden's six universities - 바카라사이트re are also 26 state-run university colleges - where Mr Ling is building a new highly-decentralised university in which most decision-making power has been invested in individual departments, making any attempt at re-regulation virtually impossible, and has risked Stockholm's ire by creating new professorships with privately raised funds from Goteborg's business sector.

"Mr Unckel allowed us at 바카라사이트 university level to differentiate - a word I prefer to decentralise - and, I promise you, we will continue to do so," Mr Ling vowed.