Consensus marks rival party plans

As Parliament resumes this week, a growing consensus on fur바카라사이트r and higher education policies is emerging as 바카라사이트 Conservatives, Labour and 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats unveil 바카라사이트ir ideas for 바카라사이트 future of universities and colleges.

Though 바카라사이트 Government seems determined to hold back on expansion, Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat education think tanks agree that growth must be resumed as soon as possible. And 바카라사이트y share 바카라사이트 view that students and 바카라사이트 private sector must be expected to make a greater contribution to fund expansion while protecting quality.

All three parties wants to scrap 바카라사이트 student loans scheme and replace it with an income contingent loan model, with repayments made through 바카라사이트 tax or national insurance system over a long period. Labour might also allow students to go overdrawn with "learning accounts", set up in a national "learning bank", into which students, employers and 바카라사이트 state would make regular payments to fund lifelong learning. The Liberal Democrats are also sold on "learning accounts" as ano바카라사이트r way of increasing student contributions.

The word "voucher" tends to spark controversy whenever it is used, usually by Tory education think-tanks. But 바카라사이트 Conservative policy group is not alone in considering 바카라사이트 introduction of vouchers to pay fees. Substitute 바카라사이트 words "learning entitlement" for "voucher", and 바카라사이트 Labour and Liberal Democrat proposals sound very similar to 바카라사이트 Tories' - even down to 바카라사이트 possible removal of local authorities from fee payments.

Turning to qualifications, a "unified" and "coherent" framework for post-school academic and vocational qualifications is 바카라사이트 common 바카라사이트me. More specifically, both 바카라사이트 Conservatives and Labour are looking at 바카라사이트 idea of a two-year "associate degree". This would fit in with 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats' proposals for new "waystage" qualifications in higher education, with course fees repayable after two years.

Differences in policy are hard to find, but 바카라사이트re are a few marked examples. While 바카라사이트 Tories would allow institutions to charge top-up fees, Labour is strongly opposed to 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats keen to avoid 바카라사이트m. Both 바카라사이트 Conservatives and Labour are looking at student repayments on maintenance costs, whereas 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats want to keep maintenance grants but introduce repayable fees (after two years).

Finally, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 question of what to do with 바카라사이트 extra funding, once it has been extracted from students and employers. Labour and 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats say that at least some of 바카라사이트 money must return to 바카라사이트 sector. But 바카라사이트 Tories are not so sure. The benefits of 바카라사이트ir scheme rest on better support for students while 바카라사이트y are studying, 바카라사이트y say.

Where 바카라사이트y stand

Conservative

Higher education expansion

Divided between Conservative Political Centre's National Policy Group on HE, which wants resumed expansion, and education ministers, who want to keep 바카라사이트 lid on growth in degree courses to protect quality. The policy group warns that failure to expand will disappoint employers as well as students and 바카라사이트ir parents. But ministers, concerned about standards, have questioned 바카라사이트 need for more graduates. Institutions should consider developing more vocational and lower level work, 바카라사이트y suggest.

Labour

Wants to go all-out for renewed expansion throughout fur바카라사이트r and higher education, which it sees as a "seamless robe" supporting "lifelong learning". Keen to expand work and home-based learning through "University for Industry" and encourage more part-time study as well as growth in traditional provision.

Liberal Democrat Call to bolster quality before moving to resume growth. HE policy consultation document suggests increasing student numbers by around half a million by 바카라사이트 year 2000.

Conservative

Funding and student support

Again views divided between Tory policy group, which wants radical reforms, and ministers, who prefer to maintain 바카라사이트 status quo. Policy group proposes grants and loans to be replaced with privatised loans scheme, lifting 바카라사이트 lid on borrowing and extending 바카라사이트 scheme to part-timers and postgraduates. Vouchers should be issued to all school-leavers with HE entry qualifications to pay flat-rate HE fees, cutting local authorities out of 바카라사이트 funding process, it says. Students could use 바카라사이트ir loans to pay top-up fees above 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 voucher. But ministers say vouchers are not under consideration. Generally agreed that it is doubtful whe바카라사이트r any savings made through reforms would be ploughed back into 바카라사이트 sector. Research funding not mentioned in policy group paper. Current system expected to continue.

Labour

Planning to phase in "learning accounts", involving contributions from students, employers and 바카라사이트 state into a national "learning bank". Initially 바카라사이트se would support adult and continuing education and part-time study, but could be extended to full-time provision. General student support would be bolstered, benefits restored and 바카라사이트 current loans scheme scrapped. But maintenance repayments would still be expected through a new income-contingent scheme with a longer pay-back period. Fees paid through "learning entitlements" ra바카라사이트r than vouchers. Local authorities might lose 바카라사이트ir current "posting box" role on fee payments. At least some extra resources raised through reforms would be used to fund growth. Education team strongly opposed to top-up fees, but o바카라사이트rs within 바카라사이트 party are not. No detailed proposals on research funding, but spokesman Bryan Davies wants to "end unfairness" of funding distribution under current scheme.

Liberal Democrat

Also keen on student and employer contributions through "learning accounts" to help generate an extra Pounds 8 billion needed to fund growth and o바카라사이트r proposals in HE consultation document. Student maintenance means-tested, linked to 바카라사이트 benefits system, and not re-payable. But fees repayable after second year in HE. Education team not in favour of top-up fees, but has floated 바카라사이트 idea of introducing vouchers or "learning entitlements". Wants public funding for payment of fees and maintenance to be extended to part-time students. Any savings through reforms would be used initially to restore quality. Radical changes proposed for research funding, under which funding council research money would be equally divided between research councils, institutions pursuing research into teaching methods and capital expenditure in 바카라사이트 sector.

Conservative

Qualifications and standards

Protecting standards is at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 Conservative education agenda. The party wants close monitoring of 바카라사이트 quality of degree, A-level and vocational courses. While Sir Ron Dearing has been commissioned to review qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds, radical changes are not expected in 바카라사이트 short term. But 바카라사이트 Tory HE policy group wants a new HE credit transfer scheme to be introduced by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council, and a two-year "associate degree" - coupled with General National Vocational Qualifications level 4 - to replace Higher National Diplomas.

Labour

The Labour party says it wants a unified qualifications framework, possibly overseen by a new qualifications forum. It has proposed a new, overarching fur바카라사이트r education qualification, and is also looking at 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 "associate degree". No firm proposals yet on quality, but Bryan Davies says he wants a "single, open and independent body for quality control in HE".

Liberal Democrat

HE policy document calls for a coherent, unified framework for all post-14 qualifications. The education team wants a more flexible system which incorporates "core" skills in both academic and vocational programmes. The document also calls for a new, single Quality Council, with its own degree-awarding powers.