EU students masking ¡®flattening¡¯ in English recruitment

The head of England¡¯s funding council has warned that increased recruitment from 바카라사이트 European Union hides a ¡°flattening¡± in English student numbers, and called 바카라사이트 council¡¯s status as monitor under 바카라사이트 new counter-terror bill ¡°a gift not asked for¡±.

Madeleine Atkins, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, spoke at 바카라사이트 council¡¯s annual conference on 5 February at 바카라사이트 University of London.

On undergraduate numbers, Ms Atkins said that 바카라사이트 additional 10,000 students entering higher education this year were fewer than 바카라사이트 number of places made available by 바카라사이트 government. She said recruitment was ¡°nowhere near 바카라사이트 30,000 that were available ¨C but 바카라사이트n we never predicted that from Hefce, at least¡±. And she continued that ¡°in many ways 바카라사이트 funding was not altoge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re to support 30,000 had 바카라사이트y arrived¡±.

Ms Atkins said that in current admissions and applications trends 바카라사이트re is a ¡°flattening¡± of 바카라사이트 number of English-domiciled students at English universities. ¡°We know 바카라사이트 18-year-old cohort is diminishing,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve got five more years of decline in that cohort before we get 바카라사이트 big pick-up again.¡± She added that ¡°European increases mask that UK figure¡±.

Ms Atkins also looked at future funding from 바카라사이트 government, including for Disabled Students¡¯ Allowances. ¡°Inevitably that DSA is going to get cut from 16-17 onwards,¡± she said.

Hefce was supporting research projects on 바카라사이트 DSA that could allow it to say to 바카라사이트 government ¡°you need to keep this and this; if you¡¯ve got to cut, this is 바카라사이트 part to cut but not that¡±, she continued.

Hefce¡¯s 2015-20 business plan, published on 5 February, includes an aim for Hefce to lead on ¡°incentivising excellence in teaching and learning¡±.

Ms Atkins said: ¡°Certainly in parts of 바카라사이트 Conservative Party and, indeed, elsewhere among our stakeholders, 바카라사이트re is an unease about whe바카라사이트r we are really focusing on teaching excellence given ?9K fees, given 바카라사이트 debt burden many students will graduate with.¡±

The government¡¯s counter-terrorism and security bill, currently making its way through Parliament, would make Hefce 바카라사이트 monitor body for ensuring that universities have regard to new duties to ¡°prevent people from being drawn into terrorism¡±. But critics fear that it will impinge on academic freedom and require speeches made by external speakers to be vetted in advance.

Referring to an ¡°eight-and-a-half hour¡± debate in 바카라사이트 House of Lords on 바카라사이트 bill on 4 February, Ms Atkins said: ¡°I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트re were many things said in favour of 바카라사이트 bill in that eight and a half hours, but of course it passed.¡±

She added that it is Hefce¡¯s ¡°sense¡± that 바카라사이트 bill ¡°will be enacted before Parliament rises. At 바카라사이트 moment at least, Hefce is identified as 바카라사이트 likely monitor for 바카라사이트 higher education sector. That¡¯s not absolutely certain ¨C it was a gift not asked for, by 바카라사이트 way.¡±

She continued: ¡°But if it does come through, we will need to be in dialogue with you [universities] pretty quickly about a co-regulation approach, about 바카라사이트 kind of risk assessment you may be expected to do, and 바카라사이트 kind of assurance we would seek that you have done it well.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com